MADURAI: A habeas corpus petition (HCP) has been filed in the Madras High Court Bench here accusing an All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) man of keeping in illegal custody a 22-year-old woman who now reportedly wants to retract a sexual abuse complaint lodged against Rajya Sabha member Sasikala Pushpa last year.
The complainant’s elder sister had filed the HCP accusing M. Anantharaj (48), former chairman of Sathankulam Panchayat Union in Thoothukudi district of keeping the 22-year-old woman in illegal custody and preventing her from going ahead with her decision to disclose that a false complaint was lodged against Ms. Pushpa only at his instance.
Stating that her sister, a widow, was living along with her ever since she lost her husband, the petitioner said that they both agreed to lodge a false complaint against the MP only because Anantharaj had promised to help them recover their salary dues from the MP for having served as domestic aides in her residence in Thoothukudi as well as Chennai.
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However, on finding that the former Panchayat Union chairman had misled them, the petitioner said that her sister went to the office of Tirunelveli Superintendent of Police and made a detailed representation expressing her decision to withdraw the complaint. Thereafter, she was abducted by Anantharaj, the petitioner alleged.