A case has been registered against the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of Perumbavoor Eldhose Kunnappilly, at the Kovalam police station, following a woman's complaint that he assaulted her multiple times. Confirming this, an official at the Kovalam station told TNM that the charges are under sections 362 (abduction), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 354 (assault or criminal force on woman to outrage her modesty), 506 (1) -- criminal intimidation -- and 34 (criminal act by several persons with common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). After coming to Kovalam station on Tuesday, October 11, the woman fainted, and has been taken to a hospital.
A day earlier, the woman gave a statement before the magistrate of Vanchiyoor court in Thiruvananthapuram, according to media reports. The woman, who is a teacher, reportedly told the court that the MLA had attacked her inside a car. After learning that she had filed a complaint about it, there was pressure on her to reach a compromise with offers of money, she said.
Reportedly, another police complaint was earlier made by a friend of the woman, saying that she was missing. When the police contacted her, she said that she could not stay at home because of the pressure on her to compromise. She asked for police protection.
Since a missing complaint was made, the woman was brought to the Vanchiyoor court on Monday. It was at the court that the woman reportedly alleged multiple abuses by the MLA. He had taken her to several places and assaulted her, and attacked her in a car, the woman said. She had digital proof with her, she said. The woman apparently spoke against the police too, about their reluctance to register a case when she first went to make a complaint, and their attempts to bring about a compromise.
MLA Eldhose has said that he does not know about the incident and has asked the police to investigate, Asianet News reports.