Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala CPI-M, which has faced a series of sex abuse charges involving party functionaries, had its worst moment today, when news broke out that the son of state party secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has been booked by Mumbai police for the rape of a dance bar girl. The oppositionUDF has already made its intentions known
when the state assembly,which is in session, meets tomorrow. The party has been accused of shielding all the accused in sex abuse cases by conducting''command'' probes by party functionaries,who invariably give the clean chit to those involved in the cases. Binoy, Kodiyeri''s eldest son, has been accused by the Mumbai-based woman of raping her for years after promising to marry her.
The woman is a native of Bihar and had been living in Dubai, where she met with the CPI-M leader''s son. Kodiyeri has two sons, both of whom have been associated with less than straightforward dealings. Mumbai police sources reportedly confirmed booking Binoy under sections 376 for rape and 420 for cheating. The victim alleged that Binoy sexually harassed her for years by luring her with the promise that he would marry her and that she has an eight-year-old child born out of the relationship.
The woman said she was not aware that she was not aware that Binoy was married. The man has, however, denied the allegations and promised to fight these legally. He claimed thatthe charges were part of a plan to blackmail him. In January last year, Binoy was booked in a Rs 13 crore money laundering case, which had embarrassed the party and the government, leading to charges that the case was being hushed up. The opposition had created a big ruckus over the issue in the assembly as well as outside.
In last September, the CPI-M was in a spot after a woman leader of the party''s youth wing raised sexual harassment charges against Shoranur MLA PK Sasi. In the face of widespread protests by women activists groups and political parties, the party launched an internal probe into the charge, and let the MLA off the hook, with some minor action against him.
- K RAVEENDRAN