THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Thiruvananthapuram sessions court granted bail for Congress MLA M Vincent who has been arrested on the charge of rape based on a statement given by a 51-year-old woman, who attempted suicide in Thiruvananthapuram.
He was given bail after a remand of 34 days. The court directed Vincent not to enter the ward where the petitioner is residing. He was also asked to appear before the investigating officer for any further probe in the case.
Vincent who was granted bail was received by his family members and party workers in front of Neyyatinkaa special sub jail. Vincent said that he will prove his innocence. The prosecution did not object the bail given on stringent conditions.
Earlier, the bail petition was rejected by the Neyyattinkara magistrate court. The prosecution argued that Vincent might sabotage the case and it was accepted by the court. The bail petition of Vincent said the case was a political conspiracy and to tarnish his image.
A case was registered against Vincent on charges of stalking, rape and abetment of suicide after the woman’s husband alleged that his wife tried to end her life by overdosing on sleeping pills as she was allegedly sexually harassed by the Kovalam MLA.
Since an MLA was involved in the case, the government appointed Kollam city police commissioner S Ajeetha Begum as the investigating officer in the case. She visited the private hospital at Neyyatinkara where the woman is under treatment and recorded her statement.
Meanwhile, an audio clip of an alleged telephonic conversation between Vincent and the complainant’s brother about settling the case amicably was leaked to the media. Begum said the audio clip would be sent for detailed examination. The complainant’s mobile phone would also be examined.
Vincent has, meanwhile, filed a complaint before the police chief requesting a detailed probe into an alleged conspiracy in the case. He alleged that local CPM leader Frederic Shaji and the woman’s brother, who is also a CPM activist, were both at her residence when she allegedly attempted suicide. It was local CPM activists, who took her to the hospital in an ambulance.
