The Valiyathura Police have filed a charge sheet in the sexual harassment case against R. Kiran Babu, former General Secretary of the KUWJ (Kerala Union of Working Journalists). This development marks a shift in KUWJ’s stance on the matter. Previously, the executive committee under Kiran Babu’s leadership had taken a stand perceived as anti-woman, allegedly shielding him from accountability.
Notably, Kiran Babu, who had acted against actor Suresh Gopi in a similar harassment complaint by a journalist, faced allegations of harassment himself at the time of leading the charge against Suresh Gopi. The case against Kiran Babu arose from an incident during a KUWJ state committee meeting, where he allegedly made sexually charged accusations against a woman secretary. The victim reportedly left the meeting in tears and filed a complaint against him at the Valiyathura Police Station. Although an FIR was registered, the investigation was delayed due to KUWJ’s intervention.
Testimonies from former General Secretary Narayanan, Prashanth, and Musafir further strengthened the case against Kiran Babu. Based on these statements, the police eventually proceeded with filing the charge sheet, despite the delays.
On the 30th of last month, the KUWJ state committee meeting in Kottayam discussed the case. Former Treasurer Suresh Vellimangalam reportedly demanded that the union support Kiran Babu and take action against those who testified against him. However, the opposition within the union argued that pursuing a court case with such a stance would harm KUWJ’s credibility, especially as it would appear anti-woman.
The committee ultimately decided to re-examine the events that led to the allegations. This indicates a significant shift from KUWJ’s earlier unilateral support for Kiran Babu. It is worth noting that the panel led by Kiran Babu suffered a complete defeat in the last state committee elections.
