Thiruvananthapuram: A committee set up by the CPM to investigate a sexual harassment complaint against a party legislator went easy on him by saying that he had not misbehaved with the complainant inside the party office and that the woman took her time to raise a flag.

The CPM suspended Shornur MLA P K Sasi from the party for six months after the panel comprising A K Balan and P K Sreemathi submitted its report. The panel accused Sasi of behaving in a way that was unbecoming of a leader but played down the allegations of sexual harassment. The panel also rejected Sasi’s claim that he was being targeted by conspirators.

Sreemathi and Balan said that Sasi had given the complainant, a party member herself, Rs 5,000 but it was for organisational purposes. They cast doubts on the claims of the complainant by pointing out that several leaders had suggested that the complaint followed a conspiracy within the party. They said that the party office was crowded on the day of the alleged incident and the doors of the room were left open.

They said that the complainant had not raised the allegation in the organisation’s forum.

Sasi was suspended after party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told a meeting of the state committee that inaction would dent the party’s image. The Palakkad district secretary sought leniency against the district secretariat member but the request was overruled in the state committee.

Sasi drew flak even after his suspension from the party by sharing the dais with CPM leaders. He attended a public function at the Cherpulasseri cooperative hospital with CPM district secretary C K Rajendran.