Assault on woman: Kerala minister's driver arrested

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine's driver of the staff got arrested on Wednesday for an alleged assault on a woman while she was out for a morning walk near the Museum in the state capital, PTI reported.

The arrestee, a contract driver in the minister's service, has been accused of trespassing into a house also, an official of the Museum police said.

After the police registered the driver's arrest under two offences, the minister ordered the person's removal from service as his private secretaries driver, a statement issued by the police said.

The minister also directed the state water authority to initiate an inquiry against the arrested man as well as take appropriate action against hijm.

Police further said that the accused used the government vehicle allotted for the minister's private secretary to conduct the offences charged against him.

But the accused told media, when he was taken to collect evidence, that he was not guilty, falsely implicated in the case and denied having any part in the offences charge on him.

"I did not do anything. I have not done anything. I am being falsely implicated. A lot of evidence is being foisted upon me. My wife is being intimidated to admit certain things," he claimed.

Meanwhile, the opposition Congress and BJP came down to rule the Communist government. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala claimed that women are under threat under the LDF rule in the state, and simply removing the driver from service would not suffice and will not end the responsibility of the minister and the government for the accused' actions.

BJP state president K Surendran alleged that the two incidents point towards the inefficiency of the state police. He agreed with Chennithala's argument that the government and the minister cannot avoid responsibility for the accused' actions.