Former Kerala minister acquitted in molestation case

Chennai: Kerala Congress chairman and former minister P J Joseph has been acquitted in the case of attempting to outrage the modesty of a woman inside an aircraft. The Sriperumbudur Magistrate Court acquitted Joseph on Monday on the grounds that the prosecution failed to prove without doubt the charges levelled against him.
The case pertains to a complaint given by television anchor and Chennai resident Lakshmi Gopakumar that the minister attempted to outrage her modesty inside a Kingfisher aircraft from Chennai to Kochi on August 3, 2006. Joseph, who was the then Public Works Minister, had to step down as the issue snowballed.
Chennai airport police who probed the case had framed Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Sexual Harassment Act-1998 against Joseph. The trial of the case has been going on for the last 10 months.
Lakshmi’s counsel told reporters that an appeal would be filed against the verdict.
Contesting the charges that Joseph touched Lakshmi with his left hand through the gap between the seat and window of the aircraft, Joseph’s counsel argued that Joseph was not able to move his left hand freely since he had undergone a surgery. Medical reports in support of this were also produced in the court. The court also pointed out that the prosecution could not produce a copy of the complaint reportedly submitted by Lakshmi to the Kingfisher Airlines authority. Though the investigating officers had approached the airlines seeking a copy of the letter, there was no response. Joseph’s counsel S Raghunath said that Joseph’s seat inside the aircraft was changed by the crew and not by Joseph.
The investigating officers had recorded the statement of 28 witnesses, including the crew members and passengers of the Kingfisher flight in which the incident allegedly took place.
12/05/09 ExpressBuzz

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Categories: Kingfisher May 2009, Safety May 2009