Sexual assault case: Kerala High Court acquits former minister Neelalohithadasan Nadar

Kochi: Former Kerala minister Dr A Neelalohithadasan Nadar has been acquitted in a sexual assault case involving an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer. The Kerala High Court overturned the district court’s conviction following an appeal filed by Nadar. The single bench, presided over by Justice Kauser Edappagath, accepted the appeal and nullified the sentence.

The district and trial courts had previously convicted Nadar based on the testimonies of the IFS officer—who was both the complainant and the first witness—and other supporting witnesses. However, the High Court pointed out inconsistencies in the complainant’s statement, leading to the cancellation of the sentence.
What was the charge against him?

The alleged incident dated back to February 27, 1999, when the IFS officer, who held a senior post in the Kerala Forest Department, was summoned to the Kozhikode Government Guest House for official discussions. The complaint stated that Nadar behaved inappropriately during her return from the meeting. In February 2002, following a separate similar complaint by a senior IAS officer, the IFS officer also came forward with her allegations, which eventually led to the case being handed over to the Crime Branch.