Ex-Kerala CM booked for sexual assault

The Crime Branch of the Kerala police have registered cases against former chief minister Oommen Chandy and MP KC Venugopal on a complaint of sexual misconduct filed by Solar scam accused Saritha S Nair. Confirming the development, DGP Loknath Behara said the cases against the two leaders were lodged on the basis of a complaint from Saritha. Reacting to the development, Chandy said they were prepared to face the cases legally. He claimed the cases were “politically motivated.” By lodging the cases now, the LDF government is trying to deflect the attention of the people from the Sabarimala issue, Chandy told reporters. Saritha has alleged in her complaint that Chandy had sexually exploited her at Cliff House, the official residence of the chief minister, in 2012, while Venugopal had raped her at Rose House, the residence of the then state minister AP Anil Kumar.