Giving a new twist to the ice-cream parlour sex scandal, the first-class magistrate court here asked the police on Friday to register a case against the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) general secretary and former industry minister P.K. Kunhalikutty over a complaint that he sexually harassed a minor girl.
Though the scandal had haunted Mr Kunhalkutty for years from the 90s, a case is being registered against him in the state for the first time.
The court gave the order while dealing with a public interest petition filed by one S. Pradeep Lal of Vallakkadavu, who cited the earlier confession of Regina, a victim of the scandal, that she had been sexually exploited by the former minister in a hotel in Thiruvananthapuram.
The court has asked the Fort police to register the case against the IUML leader under sections dealing with conspiracy, abduction and sexual harassment.
The order comes in the context of the sex scandal being raked up again following revelations by Mr Kunhalikutty’s brother-in-law, Mr K.A. Rauf, last week that he had paid lakhs of rupees to the victims, including Regina and judges of the high court to weaken the case against the IUML leader. A special team of the Kerala police has allso started a fresh investigation into the scandal.
Meanwhile, Mr Kunhalikutty hit out at his party colleague M.K. Muneer, whose Indian Vision TV channel telecast a sting operation in which a former additional director-general of prosecutions K.C. Peter was heard revealing how he helped Mr Rauf give money to two high court judges to influence the case.