Thiruvananthapuram: A Vijayaraghavan, the convener of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), is unlikely to face any police case over denigrating Ramya Haridas, the Congress candidate from the Alathur Lok Sabha constituency. Meanwhile, the Chief Election Officer in the state will wait for Election Commission's decision on the alleged hate speech by BJP president P S Sreedharan Pillai.
No case against LDF convener A Vijayaraghavan can be framed for verbal abuse of the UDF candidate, Director General of Prosecutions (DGP) has told the police.
Charges against Vijayaraghan will not stick, DGP C Sreedharan Nair passed on his legal opinion to Thrissur Range IG.
Ramya had approached a magistrate after no action was taken on her complaint with police. A confidential statement will be registered on May 17. DGP's opinion comes at this juncture. The women’s commission too had deferred action citing legal advice.
Vijayaraghavan had made dirty insinuations against Ramya early this month by linking her up with a political leader. He made the comment while speaking at an LDF convention in Ponnani Lok Sabha constituency just before Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan joined it.
Ramya, who is reportedly the frontrunner in the Alathur constituency, is the president of Kunnamangalam block panchayat in Kozhikode district.
Ramya disappointed
Ramya, meanwhile, protested the police inaction on her complaint against Vijayaraghavan
"Women will not forgive him. The chief minister changed the report given to the DGP. This shows the real face of people who organised the 'women’s wall' in the name of empowerment," the Ramya stated referring to the New Year campaign of the CPM.
The UDF denounced the government’s move to register case against its Kozhikode candidate Raghavan.
Raghavan's plea for forensic examination of the tapes has not been addressed, UDF leaders said.
Raghavan to be booked
Interestingly, the DGP has ordered initiation of action against another Congress candidate MK Raghavan who was caught on camera talking on a financial deal for a business project.
Case should be registered against Raghavan under the Representation of the People Act. Kannur IG MR Ajith Kumar has been asked to initiate action by DGP Loknath Behra. Kozhikode Commissioner AV George said Raghavan will be charged once an official communication is received.
The action was initiated after CPM approached the EC. The IG had recommended action to the DGP after legal advice was sought on Friday regarding this. An affirmation from the DGP came in no time.
Video images can be scientifically analysed only when a detailed inquiry is ordered, the police had maintained.
Chief Election Officer Teeka Ram Meena clarified that the case will not affect Raghavan's candidature. Only if he is found guilty and punished will Raghavan face any action, he said.
A report on Sreedharan Pillai has been sent to EC, said Meena.
