The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Sunday decided to suspend Jose Franklin, Thiruvananthapuram District Congress Committee (DCC) general secretary and a councillor in the Neyyattinkara municipality, from the party following allegations of sexually harassing a woman and abetting her suicide.
KPCC president Sunny Joseph issued a press release regarding the suspension. The Neyyattinkara police had last week registered a case against him related to the suicide of a 50-year-old woman near Perumpazhuthoor on October 8.
The woman’s daughter had found her engulfed in flames early in the morning. Though she was rushed to the Neyyattinkara General Hospital and later to the Government Medical College Hospital, she succumbed to burns. Initially, it was assumed to be a case of accidental fire, but a suicide note purportedly written by her revealed the circumstances that led to the incident.
According to the note, the contents of which were revealed on Sunday, Jose, who is also the health standing committee chairperson of the Neyyattinkara municipality, had subjected her to sexual harassment after she approached him for a loan to pay off the debts she incurred in the running of a bakery business. He had allegedly asked her to visit his office with certain bills after promising her to secure the loan. At the office, he sexually harassed her.
In the note, addressed to her son, she says that she has no other way but to end her life as Jose has been constantly troubling her by demanding sexual favours. The Congress councillor had gone into hiding after the allegations surfaced.
Published – October 19, 2025 09:43 pm IST
