Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 9 The handling of the complaint against filmmaker and former CPI-M-backed MLA P.T. Kunju Muhammed has raised eyebrows, especially when compared with the swift action taken by the Kerala Police in the case involving first-time Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil.
In Mamkootathil's case, the first complaint reached Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and was immediately handed over to the police.
When a second complaint was later submitted to Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President Sunny Joseph, it was promptly forwarded to the State Police Chief Ravada A. Chandrasekhar, resulting in immediate action.
The promptness in both instances was widely noted and commended.
In contrast, the complaint against P.T. Kunju Muhammed, submitted directly to Chief Minister Vijayan on November 27 by a woman film professional, was handed over to the police only on December 2 -- nearly five days later.
This delay has sparked debate over whether different standards are being applied in politically sensitive cases.
The incident in question occurred at a Thiruvananthapuram hotel, where the complainant alleges that Kunju Muhammed entered her room.
The CCTV footage reportedly confirmed that both the accused and the complainant were present in the hotel and that Kunju Muhammed entered the room.
Based on this, a case was registered under Sections 74 and 75(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Notably, the charges are bailable and the police is likely to record the complainant's statement before a Magistrate on Wednesday.
The alleged incident occurred on November 6, during the selection process for Malayalam films for the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), which begins on December 13.
Kunju Muhammed, the then Chairman of the Selection Committee, and the complainant, a committee member, were both staying at the hotel where the alleged misconduct took place.
Muhammed, a CPI-M fellow-traveller, former MLA, and former director of Kairali TV, has denied any wrongdoing, saying that he did not behave inappropriately and is willing to apologise.
Yet, the perceived delay in forwarding the complaint and the differences in police response have highlighted concerns over fairness and consistency in handling politically sensitive cases.
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