Neelalohithadasan suspended from JD(S)

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 4 (UNI) Former Minister A Neelalohithadasan Nadar, who filed his nomination from Kovalam Assembly segment as an independent after his party denied him ticket on account of his conviction in two sexual harassment cases, has been suspended from the primary membership of the Janata Dal (Secular).

In a statement here, JD(S) State President M P Veerendra Kumar said Dr Nadar had violated party directive by filing his nomination as an independent.

In tune with the remarks of Leader of the Opposition V S Achuthanandan after a meeting of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) that there would be ''no seat for womanisers,'' the JD(S), a constituent of the Marxist-led LDF, yesterday announced that Roofes Daniel would contest from Kovalam constituency in place of sitting MLA, Dr Nadar.

An irked Dr Nadar went straight to the Legislature complex to submit his resignation as MLA and filed his papers as an independent.

He alleged that both the LDF and the JD(S) had betrayed him despite his long years of service for both of them. He claimed the verdicts in the cases were subject to judicial review.

Dr Nadar said he was confident he would be able to get them reviewed in course of time.

His candidature is posing a serious threat to the prospects of the LDF official candidate as Dr Nadar enjoyed a considerable support in the coastal constituency.

Even during the peak of the controversy, he managed to win the previous Assembly election.

Last year, a lower court had sentenced him to three months' imprisonment for sexually harassing Ms Nalini Netto, Kerala's present chief electoral officer when she was Transport Secretary in 1999.

Dr Nadar had earlier been found guilty in a similar case raised by an Indian Forst Service official, in 2000. In both these cases Dr Nadar managed to get bail.

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