Congress MLA AP Abdullakutty (File pic)
Congress law-maker in Kerala AP Abdullakutty, accused of rape, today faced protests outside a hotel in Kannur where he was scheduled to attend a meeting of the party's district-level functionaries.
The protesters, from Left-affiliated youth organisation Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), gheraoed (encirled) the MLA, blocking his movement and shouting slogans demanding his arrest. The police had to resort to force to detain the protesters.
A case of rape was registered against Mr Abdullakutty on Tuesday. A woman has alleed that the politician sexually assaulted her in a hotel in Thiruvananthapuram.
She has also alleged that Mr Abdullakutty, 46, threatened her against disclosing what had happened.
The Congress leader has, however, denied the charges. "I have several things to reveal myself. I will do it at the right time. These are attempts made to defame me and the party for no reason," he said.
The woman who has alleged rape is linked to a financial scandal that has dogged the Congress-led coalition government in the state over the last year. The alleged scam involves a couple who duped companies into investing in solar power units that were never delivered.
A personal aide of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was arrested in connection with the scam.