THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On Wednesday,
VK Ebrahim Kunju
became the third
MLA to be arrested from the UDF in the
present Assembly
.
Kovalam MLA M Vincent
was the first one to get arrested in July 2017 on charges of
rape, based on the statement given by a
woman from Balaramapuram
. MLA MC Kamaruddin was arrested on November 7, 2020 in connection with Fashion Gold cheating case. Though MLAs were arrested in many political cases in the past and during the time of Emergency, not many legislators were arrested in criminal cases.
In August 2012 CPM MLA TV Rajesh was arrested as one of the accused in Abdul Shukoor murder case. To evade arrest, he had sought anticipatory bail in high court, but it was rejected. He surrendered before a court in Kannur and was remanded in prison for two weeks. Along with him, CPM district secretary (Kannur) P Jayarajan was also arrested. In February, 2011 R Balakrishna Pillai was given a two-year prison term in Idamalayar case; but he was not an MLA then.
In 2002, Chengannur MLA Sobhana George was arrested during the regime of AK Antony government for forging a document against the then minister KV Thomas. Janata Dal (S) leader Jose Thettayil, who represented Angamaly in the previous assembly, faced rape charges in 2013. He evaded arrest after procuring anticipatory bail from the high court. Thettayil was not given a ticket to contest in last election.
CPM’s Thalassery MLA MV Rajagopalan Nair was jailed in 1980 after being awarded a life sentence by the trial court in the murder of RSS activist Kunnothuparambu Ravindran.
There are several MLAs who were involved in sex scandals, but none of them quit. Ministers PT Chacko to AK Saseendran had to quit their posts when sexual allegations were levelled against them. A Neelalohithadasan Nadar, PK Kunhalikutty, PJ Joseph and KB Ganesh Kumar were other ministers who had to quit following their involvement in crimes against women.
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