The daughter of a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam functionary has levelled sexual harassment charges against DMK district secretary V. Karuppsamy Pandian, and filed a complaint with the police seeking action against him and protection to her and her family.
In her complaint submitted to Deputy Inspector General of Police (Tirunelveli Range) Sumit Sharan, N. Thamizharasi, the 30-year-old M.Phil scholar and daughter of party’s Tirunelveli city youth wing organiser K. Naaladiyaar, said she met Mr. Pandian at his residence near District Court Complex here on August 23 as she wanted to enter active politics and get a position in the party.
Mr. Pandian welcomed her decision to enter politics, and asked her to give her mobile number to his aide Karthi.
Ms.Thamizharasi did so, and left Mr. Pandian’s house, she said in her complaint.
“When I met Mr.Pandian in his bungalow at Courtallam on August 28 after he contacted me over phone, he expected sexual favours from me for getting a prominent position in the DMK. When I refused, he threatened to wipe out my family if I preferred a police complaint. I managed to escape from his bungalow, and passed on this information to my father through my mother. My father persuaded me to file a police complaint,” Ms. Thamizharasi claimed.
Threatened
She also alleged that the supporters of Mr.Pandian were spreading baseless charges against her and were threatening her family members.
After repeated attempts to reach Mr. Pandian’s aide Karthi failed, his son V.K.P. Sankar was contacted. Though he assured that his father would call back at the earliest, Mr. Pandian did not contact this correspondent till night.
Forwarded
Later, the DIG forwarded the complaint to Superintendent of Police Vijayendra S. Bidri who, in turn, forwarded it to the Courtallam police.
Meanwhile, the DMK high command suspended N. Maalairaja, party’s former Tirunelveli MLA and a staunch supporter of DMK president M. Karunanidhi’s son M.K. Alagiri.
Party sources said the party high command suspected that Ms. Thamizharasi had preferred the police complaint only at the behest of Mr. Maalairaja.
