A rape case has been registered against ruling CPI(M) MLA and actor Mukesh in Kerala, days after an actress accused him of sexual abuse. The case was registered by the Marad police after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Kerala government to probe the sexual assault complaints related to Malayalam cinema recorded the actress's statement at her apartment in Aluva on Wednesday.
The actor-turned-politician has been charged with non-bailable offences including rape and 'use of criminal force against women with intent to outrage her modesty.'
The case was registered under IPC sections as the offence allegedly occurred before the new Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita came into force, according to police. IPC section 376 (1) which deals with rape; section 452 dealing with house trespass with the intent to hurt or assault someone; section 509 dealing with intend to insult a woman's modesty by using words, gestures, or acts; section 354 dealing with assault or use of criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty are the charges included in the case.
The case has further intensified the demand for Mukesh's resignation with pressure mounting from the opposition and reportedly members of his own party. CPI leader and National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) general secretary Annie Raja demanded the actor's resignation stressing that he no longer has the moral standing to continue as an MLA.
"Now with a case being registered against him, he no longer has the moral or legal standing to continue in that post. He should resign from his post as MLA," she said.
"It will also affect the image of the state government. The Left Front is pro-women," she added.
However, ministers in the LDF government and the CPM have maintained that action will be taken only according to the findings of the probe and not on the basis of the accusations. A close aide of Mukesh has confirmed that the party has not asked him to step down. According to sources, Mukesh met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today in the state capital.
LDF convener E P Jayarajan on Thursday responded to the demand for resignation by asking two Congress legislators booked in sexual assault cases to step down.
"Had they resigned, then the third MLA (Mukesh) too would have to resign. The law is applicable equally to all legislators. By asking for Mukesh' resignation, you are protecting the other two," Jayarajan said responding to reporters' question on whether the actor will resign.
Former minister and senior party leader K K Shailaja said that Mukesh has no right to continue in the position once he is proven guilty.
"If he has committed a crime, then he is not eligible to continue in that position. But, right now we are in the initial stages of the investigation and we cannot say whether he should resign or not," she said adding that the government will not protect anyone found to be an offender.
The accusations against the veteran actor surfaced days after the release of the Hema Committee report, which revealed shocking details about the systemic sexual violence against women in the Malayalam cinema. The actress, who accused Mukesh of sexual abuse had alleged that he assaulted her at a hotel in Kochi, promising to give her opportunities to act in movies. The actress had alleged that Mukesh forcibly barged into her hotel room and raped her.
Four other actors including Jayasurya, Maniyanpilla Raju and Edavela Babu have also been booked by the police on the complaint of the same actress.
A case has been registered by the Cantonment police against noted actor Jayasurya on charges including outraging the modesty of the woman.
As many as seventeen cases have been registered against actors and filmmakers of Malayalam cinema after several women came out and lodged complaints since the release of the Hema Committee report.
(With inputs from PTI, Express News Service)