Kunhalikutty gives resignation under public pressure

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Dec 28: Facing sexual harassment allegations, Muslim League leader and Kerala Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty, today submitted his resignation to his party head after battling a fierce public agitation for his ouster for over two months.

Kutty’s close aide told the Times of India over the phone that the minister on Tuesday gave the letter to Thangal. The party supremo has assured the minister that his request would be discussed in the party forum and decided accordingly.

The minister has been facing mass stir in a series of sex scandal cases. Rejina, a victim in the infamous Kozhikode ice cream parlor sex case, claimed that she had been sexually exploited by the Minister eight years ago.

A controversy was sparked off when a victim in the seven-year scandal alleged that the IUML leader had sexually exploited her three times in different places in the state. This triggered a series of protests, following which his resignation was sought.

Appearing before the visual media on October 28, Regina, the victim, had also disclosed that relatives of Kunhalikutty paid her lakhs of rupees to change her version in the case in his favour.

Dismissing the allegations as politically-motivated, Kunhalikutty had earlier said he was prepared to resign from the Cabinet if directed by the party supremo.

He was boycotted in Assembly and outside by the Opposition Front. However the Congress that leads the ruling UDF had refused to press for the resignation of Kutty.

A section in the Congress had also come out openly against Kunhalikutty’s continuance in the cabinet and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, had to face a tough time over the issue.