The Congress on Saturday expelled a Palakkad city councilor from the party following a sexual assault complaint against him.
Palakkad District Congress Committee (DCC) president A. Thankappan said that Prashob C. Valsan, a councilor from the 24th division, was removed from the party after reports of the incident surfaced.
“We came to know about the incident through media reports. We expelled him from the party soon after,” Mr. Thankappan told reporters.
Mr Thankappan, while remaining as a councillor, said the party had no authority to act in this area.
“He can resign as a councilor on moral grounds, but it is his decision. The party is also conducting an internal investigation. We have not received any formal complaint, yet we have decided to remove him,” he said.
The DCC president also claimed that the incident would not affect the party’s prospects in the upcoming elections and said that Prashob was not a prominent leader.
The police registered the case on Saturday after recording the woman’s statement.
A case has been registered at the Palakkad South police station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Police said Valsan is currently on the run and they are trying to track him down.
The woman, who belongs to the Scheduled Tribe community, alleged that the councilor sexually assaulted her several times on the promise of securing her a stable job and later pressured her to terminate the pregnancy.
She filed a complaint against the police and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The BJP and the ruling LDF have slammed the Congress over the issue, alleging that Prashob is a close aide of sitting MLA Rahul Mamkootathila, who they say has faced sexual assault cases and has been arrested before.
Congress candidate and actor Ramesh Pisharody said the woman who accused a former party councilor of sexual assault should get justice.
Mr Pisharody added that what happened to the woman was wrong and regrettable and the accused should be punished.
Published – 28 March 2026 21:35 IST
