Kerala Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar’s wife, Bindu Menon, on Monday, March 9, alleged that she found him in a “compromising position” at their home in Valakom, triggering a row over the response of the police.
Bindu told the media that she had experienced marital issues in the past, including similar tensions around 2019, several years after their marriage in 2014. However, she alleged that matters worsened after Ganesh Kumar became a minister, claiming that his friends and staff gradually turned against her.
She said that the latest incident unfolded when she went to the bedroom at the Valakom residence, around 70 km from the state capital, and witnessed a situation that prompted her to begin taking photographs. “What I saw in the bedroom is unexplainable, it is beyond shameful,” she told the media.
She alleged that the minister’s driver tried to prevent her from taking photographs, while some members of the staff attempted to snatch her mobile phone and lock her in a room. "I lost control emotionally, but I did not assault anyone or use abusive language," she said, adding that the minister later portrayed her as mentally unstable.
She said she informed her sister-in-law, former DGP R Sreelekha, and contacted the police control room seeking help. According to her account, she ran outside the house crying for help, and soon after that, the woman, who was there with the minister, was taken away in a car by the minister’s driver.
Police officers later arrived at the spot, but according to Bindu, they told her that the matter did not fall within their purview. She said she had asked for protection and that some members of the minister’s staff urged her to forgive him and settle the issue. "I also called up Veena, the daughter of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, told her about the incident, and she has all the pictures," she added.
‘Love is not crime, personal matter’
Responding to the controversy, Ganesh Kumar claimed the allegations were attempts to gain political mileage ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. "Whether the allegations are true or not, they are personal matters, and no one else should interfere,” he said, adding that he has never behaved indecently towards any woman.
"Love is not a crime. Everyone experiences love. It will continue," he said. He added that he is a good public servant and that he has never been involved in corruption.
According to him, the people of Pathanapuram will not believe such accusations because they know him well. The episode has drawn attention partly because Ganesh Kumar had resigned as a minister in 2013 during the Oommen Chandy government after his first wife publicly levelled allegations of domestic violence against him.
Political row
The incident triggered a political row in the state, with several demands for Ganesh’s resignation. Mounting a strong attack against the police’s inaction and criticising Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Opposition Leader VD Satheeshan asked if a minister’s wife gets no justice, who will.
He further said that the police should not have left the scene without helping Bindu. Citing how the LDF government has repeatedly made claims of prioritising women’s safety, Satheeshan added that the CM owes the people of Kerala an explanation.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala also criticised the police and said that the CM must ask Ganesh to resign immediately.
When asked if Ganesh would be given a ticket to contest in the upcoming elections, CPM General Secretary MA Baby said that the LDF would discuss the issue and come to a decision. He also added that he does not believe the police committed an oversight.
While Higher Education Minister R Bindu said that everyone must behave responsibly towards women, she did not specifically comment on Ganesh’s issue, saying she has not studied the details.
Ganesh Kumar, who represents the Pathanapuram constituency in Kollam, is the son of Congress leader and former minister R Balakrishna Pillai. Ganesh married Bindu in 2014, after a divorce from his former wife, Yamini Thankachy, who accused him of infidelity and domestic violence.
With IANS inputs