Dramatic scenes unfolded outside the LDF-ruled Municipality on Saturday ahead of a no-confidence motion moved by the opposition UDF after Kala Raju, a CPI(M) woman councillor, was allegedly abducted in broad daylight upon her arrival to vote in the motion.
As the issue triggered a huge political controversy, P. B. Ratheesh, the area secretary of the CPI(M) in Koothattukulam, on Sunday rejected the allegations and claimed that she had not suffered any physical assault by the party workers and leaders.
He said Kala Raju had been elected as the councillor after contesting as a CPI(M) nominee during the civic body elections held in 2020.
Ratheesh further said that the LDF had already decided not to take part in the no-confidence motion discussion at the Municipality.
"Kala Raju also came there as part of our decision. Several persons including our chairperson Vijaya Sivan suffered injuries during a scuffle there and we soon shifted everyone to the hospital," he said recounting Saturday's dramatic developments outside the Municipality.
He said Raju also complained of uneasiness at that time, and a doctor was brought to examine her.
"She didn't suffer any physical assault. We interacted in a very warm and friendly manner before leaving," the CPI (M) leader said adding that he didn't know what happened after that.
However, Raju on Sunday iterated that fellow CPI(M) councillors dragged her to a car and tore her dress.
“I was beaten up and taken to the CPM area committee office. They tried to tear my clothes and threatened to chop off my legs. I was forced to support the no-confidence motion as the party did not [pay] heed to the complaints I had raised four months ago,” Raju was reported as saying by The New Indian Express.
Although the police were present, they did not intervene, the councillor added.
After the councillor's children had lodged a complaint with the police, Kala Raju was found at her home and subsequently taken for a medical examination on Saturday.
Based on a complaint from her family, the police registered an FIR under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against 50 individuals, including charges of kidnapping, unlawful assembly, rioting, wrongful restraint, and voluntarily causing hurt.
The accused include Koothattukulam CPI(M) area secretary P. B. Ratheesh, municipality chairperson Vijaya Shivan, vice-chairman Sunny Kuriakose and CPI(M) local secretary Febeesh George.
The Koothattukulam municipality is governed by the LDF, which has 13 members, while the opposition UDF has 11. There is also one Independent member in the 25-member council.
