EP Jayarajan (Photo: Mathrubhumi Archives| S Sreekesh)
Kochi: A day after the survivor in the sexual assault case approached the Kerala High Court alleging that there was a move to derail the probe, the ruling LDF convenor E P Jayarajan on Tuesday categorically rejected the charges, saying it should be examined whether there was any vested interest behind her plea.
Though the survivor had harshly criticised the Left government and raised serious allegations against the trial court in her plea, the CPI(M) veteran said anyone can approach the court with such a petition but it would not impact the prospects of the ruling front in upcoming Thrikkakara bypoll anyway.
People of the state were clearly aware about the policies of the state government and its stand and approaches in various issues, he claimed.
Coming down heavily on the Congress-led UDF, he said the opposition was looking for ways to divert the attention against the LDF government as they have no fault to pinpoint.
He said the Pinarayi Vijayan government is the one which has always condemned the attacks against women and children and taken stringent action against the assaulters.
In the actor assault case also, police would do everything possible within the legal framework.
"Anyone can file a plea in the court. But, It should be examined whether there is any vested interest behind the present petition. I am not the person to say anything about the merit of a case pending before the court. Let the court examine it...Everything will be clear then," the leader told reporters here.
However, Leader of opposition in the state assembly, V D Satheesan slammed Jayarajan over his statement saying that associating the survivor approaching the court with the UDF amounted to insulting her again.
It was not appropriate for the CPI(M) leaders, who should have supported the survivor's struggle along with the people of the country, to humiliate her, he said alleging that the pseudo face of the Left party who claimed to be with the victim was exposed through his latest statement.
"This is a tragedy happened to a daughter. I am a father too...everybody wants no daughter to suffer such a tragedy in her life. It is our duty to give strengths to the survivor," he told reporters.
UDF's Thrikkakara candidate Uma Thomas and widow of former legislator P T Thomas also extended support to the survivor and said many of the concerns the actress had expressed in her high court petition was raised by her late husband much before.
Alleging political interference in the sexual assault case of 2017 involving actor Dileep, the survivor on Monday approached the Kerala High Court seeking its intervention in the matter, alleging that there was a move to derail the probe.
The survivor, in her plea, also raised serious allegations against the trial court saying the presiding officer has some "vested interest to save the culprits".
The plea came a day after the Crime Branch has reportedly decided to wind up the investigation into a related case of an alleged tampering of digital evidence.
"It is painfully submitted that the Government of Kerala which gave support to the cause of the petitioner/victim at the initial stage and allowed a fair investigation in the case by police officers of high integrity and took credit of the investigation politically has backtracked from its constitutional legal commitment of conducting a free, fair and complete investigation in the case," she said.
The petition also alleges that Dileep has unlawfully influenced some of the politicians of the ruling front in the state and attempted to interfere with the further investigation in the case and prematurely close the same.
The petition said even though the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) authorities had submitted a report to the court, the judge kept the same without making any entries in the court records.
The survivor also alleged that Dileep, a film star and a multimillionaire, was capable of "playing any heinous tricks to influence anybody" and do "any blackmailing techniques to keep others under his captivity".
The actress-victim who has worked in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films was abducted and allegedly molested in her car for two hours by some of the accused, who had forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017 and later escaped in a busy area. The entire act was filmed by some of the accused to blackmail the actress.
There are 10 accused in the case and police arrested seven persons. Dileep was arrested subsequently and released on bail. PTI
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