Senior CPI(M) leader and former minister KK Shailaja said that if it is proven that party MLA M Mukesh is guilty of the alleged crimes, he has no right to continue as a legislator.
A rape case has been registered against the MLA and veteran actor, days after an actress accused him of sexual abuse. The accusation surfaced following the release of the Hema Committee report, which revealed shocking details about the systemic sexual violence against women in the Malayalam movie industry.
"If he has committed a crime, then he is not eligible to continue in that position. But, right now, we are in the initial stages of the investigation and we cannot say whether he should resign or not," she said as quoted by news agency PTI.
Shailaja added that currently a special investigation team (SIT) is probing all the allegations that have surfaced, including against Mukesh. Once the SIT gives its report, the government will take an appropriate decision based on that, she said.
She added that the government will not shield any individual proven to be guilty and emphasised that it is not partial to anyone.
Earlier today, the Kerala Police said that an FIR has been lodged against Mukesh, the CPI(M) MLA from Kollam, based on a complaint by actress Minu Muneer, as reported by ANI. The police also confirmed that another FIR has been filed against actor Jayasurya, based on the same actress's complaint, under Section 354, which addresses the intent to outrage a woman's modesty.
Speaking on the FIR against Mukesh, CPI State Secretary Binoy Viswam said, “The government is moving on the right track. This government is a Left government. A Left government politically, ideologically and morally stands with the women in cinema...”
He added, “When the WCC, Women in Collective Cinema, came forth with certain grievances and issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, the government constituted a committee led by a retired judge of the High Court, that is the Hema Committee... Based on their reports the government entrusted a high-level committee of the police... That committee is actively doing its task...”
Coming back to the allegation by Muneer, the junior actress alleged that actors Mukesh, Jayasurya, Maniyanpilla Raju, and Idavela Babu subjected her to both verbal and physical abuse while working together on various film projects.
