The police, on Tuesday, filed a first information report (FIR) in a magistrate court here accusing the former Minister of Forests K.B. Ganesh Kumar of subjecting his wife to cruelty under Section 498(A) of the Indian Penal Code.
The law defines cruelty as wilful conduct likely to drive a woman to commit suicide or cause grave injury or danger to life, limb or health (mental and physical). It covers harassment of a woman to coerce her to comply with unlawful demands. The section entails a punishment of up to three years of imprisonment and fine.
The police filed the FIR on the basis of a written complaint lodged by Mr. Ganesh’s wife, Yamini Thankachi, at the Museum police station on Monday night. The police have accused the politician and film actor of wrongfully confining his wife and assaulting her, under sections 341 and 323, respectively, of the Indian Penal Code.
On the basis of a complaint lodged by Mr. Ganesh, the police registered another FIR against Yamini Thankachi, accusing her of grievously hurting her husband and threatening him with death under sections 324 and 506(2), respectively, of the Indian Penal Code.
In his complaint, Mr. Ganesh accused his now estranged wife of rudeness, cruelty and impatience. He said that on February 22, his wife had assaulted him in the office room of his private home. He gave photographs of the injuries he sustained in the alleged assault. Mr. Ganesh cited his staff member Rejo, driver Santhan, gunman Shanawaz and his house maid as witnesses to the incident.
Chief Minister Oomen Chandy had held a closed-door meeting with Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and State Police Chief K. S. Balasubramanian after Mr. Ganesh and Ms. Yamini accused each other of criminal behaviour on Tuesday.
Officials said senior officials had vetted both their complaints and decided on the apt sections to be applied in both the cases. The Chief Minister has transferred the case to the Crime Branch for a sustained and speedy investigation.
Uma Behera, Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch, Kollam, and Radhakrishna Pillai, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Hurt and Homicide Wing, Crime Branch, Thiruvananthapuram, were likely to investigate the case under the supervision of Additional Director General of Police, Crime Branch, Vinson M. Paul.
