AMMK candidate K Kathirkamu of Periyakulam constituency has been booked on charges of rape. The complaint has been filed in Theni’s all-women police station. Kathirkamu has however denied all charges
Madurai: Former MLA and Amma Makkal Munnetra Katchi (AMMK) candidate for the Periyakulam Assembly by-election, K Kathirkamu is in the dock over charges of rape. A case has been registered in the Theni all-women police station.
A 36-year-old woman filed a complaint against Kathirkamu alleging that the incident took place at his hospital in 2015 while he was a practicing doctor.
An FIR has been registered under sections 376 (rape), 417 (cheating) and 506 (1) (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
However, Kathirkamu has denied all the allegations and claimed that there was no truth to the incident. He had also said that a similar issue cropped up three years ago.
Kathirkamu further stated that this was politically motivated in an attempt to foil his chances of winning the election.
It is interesting to note that Kathirkamu is one among the 18 MLAs disqualified by the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker in 2017.
He won on an AIADMK ticket from Periyakulam in 2016 and has been chosen to contest from the same constituency for AMMK this time.
Eighteen MLAs had been disqualified and the by-polls for the same are being held along with Lok Sabha elections in the state.
The MLAs had been disqualified by the Madras high court in October last year under the Anti Defection Law after the MLAs declared their support to TTV Dhinakaran.
Dhinakaran has announced poll candidates for all 39 Parliamentary constituencies in Tamil Nadu as well as the 18 by-poll segments.
Four other constituencies of Sulur, Aravakurichi AC, Thiruparankundram and Ottapidaram will go to polls on May 19.
Earlier, these four constituencies were not in the poll race. The Election Commission announced their poll dates only on April 9.The last day of filing nomination for these seats is April 29 and the last day for withdrawal of candidature is May 2.
For both Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, counting of votes will be on May 23.
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