A rape case has been registered on Tuesday in the Theni All-Woman Police Station against K Kathirkamu, former MLA and AMMK candidate in Periyakulam Assembly bye-election.
According to The Hindu, the police registered the case following a viral video that was being circulated on the messaging platform WhatsApp. A complaint was obtained from a 36-year-old woman on Monday following which the police registered an FIR under sections 376 (rape), 417 (cheating) and 506 (1) (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. The woman’s complaint was based on the incident which allegedly took place in October 2015.
However, Kathirkamu has denied the allegations and stated that there was no truth to the incident and that a similar issue had cropped up three years ago. Kathirkamu is a medical practitioner who runs a hospital in Allinagaram in Theni district. The complainant had stated that the incident took place at his hospital.
The news report further states that AIADMK functionaries in Periyakulam stated that Kathirkamu has been having an affair and the AIADMK had nothing to do with registration of the case.
Speaking to reporters, Kathirkamu called the complaint an attempt to foil his chances of winning the elections. It is interesting to note that Kathirkamu is one among the 18 MLAs disqualified by the assembly Speaker in 2017. He won an AIADMK ticket from Periyakulam in 2016 and has been chosen to contest from the same constituency for AMMK this time.
Eighteen of the 22 bye-polls due in the state are on account of these MLAs being disqualified by the Madras High Court in October last year under the Anti Defection Law for declaring their support to TTV Dhinakaran. Dhinakaran has announced poll candidates for all 39 Parliamentary constituencies in Tamil Nadu as well as the 18 bye-poll segments.