Congress suspends leader booked for abetment of woman’s suicide in Kerala

The Congress on Sunday suspended Thiruvananthapuram District Congress Committee (DCC) General Secretary Jose Franklin following allegations related to the suicide of a 50-year-old woman.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph, in a short statement, announced the suspension of Franklin, who is Neyyattinkara municipal councillor as well, from the party ''in the wake of the allegations raised against him.'' Police arraigned Franklin as an accused for allegedly abetting the woman’s suicide near Perumbazhuthoor near Neyyattinkara early this month.

Neyyattinkara police said he recently secured anticipatory bail from the District Principal Sessions Court. On Sunday, television channels aired a suicide note purportedly written by the woman accusing Franklin of mental and sexual harassment.

Following this development, the KPCC decided to suspend the leader from the party. Meanwhile, the CPI(M) and BJP held protests in Neyyattinkara demanding Franklin’s resignation from his councillor post.