Kerala: Case against Congress MP for allegedly molesting actress Shweta Menon

Police have registered a case against Kerala Congress MP Peethambara Kurup for allegedly molesting leading Malayalam film actress Shweta Menon.

Shweta Menon, who was allegedly molested by Kurup at the President's Boat race event at Kollam two days back, on Sunday gave her statement on the incident to police.

A police team from Kollam, including a woman Circle Inspector arrived in Kochi at 9 AM and recorded Shweta's statement at her residence. The actress reportedly broke down while the statement was being recorded.

The police team refused to disclose the details. Shweta is understood to have mentioned the names of two persons, including Kollam MP Kurup, who has denied the charge.

On Saturday night Shweta had told reporters after meeting office bearers of various film industry bodies that she would send a detailed complaint to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, whom she is likely to meet on Tuesday. Her statement was recorded by police on a complaint by DYFI, the youth wing of CPI(M).

Shweta has so far not named her tormentor, saying all details are in the complaint and she was pained that Collector B Mohan had "ignored" her charge when informed about it. To this, Mohan had said she had not given any complaint, either orally or in writing.

He said he had ordered Kollam City Police Commissioner to enquire into the incident following an SMS complaint from Aisha Potti, MLA. Shweta had also rejected Kurup's contention that the charge was politically motivated and said she would not back out from her complaint.

The incident has triggered strong protests from the film fraternity and women's outfits deploring 'failure' of the authorities to act against the MP. While 73-year-old Kurup termed the charge as untrue,Shweta had said she stood by whatever she had stated on the incident that allegedly occurred at the venue of the President's Trophy boat race.

TV footage showed the MP moving towards the actress and touching her. Chandy had told reporters at Kottayam on Saturday he had not received any complaint from the actress so far and that appropriate action would be taken after investigation if a complaint was received.