If Mukesh has committed offence, no right to continue as MLA: K K Shailaja

Thiruvananthapuram: Senior CPI(M) leader and former minister K K Shailaja on Thursday said if it's proved that party MLA M Mukesh committed the crimes he has been accused of, then he has no right to continue as a legislator.

Shailaja said that currently a special investigation team (SIT) is probing all the allegations that have surfaced, including against Mukesh, in the wake of the Justice Hema Committee report.

Once the SIT gives its report, the government will take an appropriate decision based on that, she said.

"If he has committed a crime, then he is not eligible to continue in that position. But, right now we are in the initial stages of the investigation and we cannot say whether he should resign or not," she said.

She further said that the government will not try to protect anyone who is found to be an offender and it was not biased in favour of anyone.

Shailaja, a former state Health Minister, also pointed out that there were Congress MLAs facing similar allegations who have not resigned -- a stand taken by LDF convener E P Jayarajan.

However, she also said that she was not going to say that should be the stand in this case too.

Shailaja also said the government was with the women and victims as it constituted the Justice Hema Committee in 2017 and now set up an SIT, which includes senior female IPS officers, to probe the allegations against various actors and directors.

An FIR under IPC 376 (rape) was registered against the actor at Maradu police station in Kochi city on Wednesday night, a police officer said.

The case was registered under the IPC as the offence allegedly occurred before the new Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita came into force, he said.

This is the third FIR against a high profile Malayalam film personality following allegations of sexual harassment against various directors and actors in the wake of revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report.

On Wednesday, Thiruvananthapuram Museum police had booked actor Sidhique for allegedly raping an actress in a hotel eight years ago.

The first case, under IPC Section 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with intent to outrage her modesty), was against director Ranjith on a complaint by a female actor from West Bengal regarding an incident which occurred in 2009.

Following the allegation by the actor, Ranjith had resigned from his post as chairman of the state-run Kerala Chalachitra Academy.

Sidhique had also resigned as general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) following the allegations against him.

The Justice Hema Committee was constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case and its report revealed instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.

Amidst allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation cropping up against several actors and directors, the state government on August 25 announced the establishment of a seven-member special investigation team to probe them.