Kovalam: Rape, stalking charges slapped on Congress MLA after woman's suicide bid

The woman, 51, a Balaramapuram native, attempted suicide by consuming excess amount of sleeping pills on Wednesday  The probe team decided to invoke IPC sections 376 and 354D against Kovalam MLA M Vincent after recording the woman's statement The police had earlier registered an abetment of suicide and verbal abuse case against the Congress leader

The police have now invoked sections of rape and stalking on Congress leader and Kovalam MLA M Vincent, who has been booked after a woman attempted suicide alleging she was sexually harassed by him several times.

The probe team decided to invoke IPC sections 376 and 354D after recording the woman's statement at a hospital in Neyyattinkara on Thursday, according to a Times of India report. The city magistrate also recorded her statements at the hospital, where she is undergoing treatment. 

Kovalam: Housewife attempts suicide, abetment case against Congress MLA

The police had earlier registered an abetment of suicide and verbal abuse case against Vincent after the woman's husband filed a complaint, alleging that the legislator used to repeatedly call her over the phone and harass and threaten her. 

The woman, 51, a Balaramapuram native, attempted suicide by consuming excess amount of sleeping pills on Wednesday. 

Vincent, however, alleged that there was a "political conspiracy" behind the allegations against him and filed a complaint with the police himself, demanding a detailed probe into the matter. 

The Congress MLA claimed that a local CPM leader was present at the woman's house when she attempted suicide by consuming sleeping pills, and that her brother is also a Marxist activist.