In a U-turn, Kerala actress Shweta Menon dropped her complaint of molestation against Congress MP N Peethambara Kurup, saying the 71-year-old leader tendered a "personal apology" to her hours after she lodged an FIR against him.
Kurup today stuck to his stand that he did not misbehave with her and claimed he had apologised to her because he was part of the organising committee of the boat race here for which she had come as a guest.
The 71-year-old Congress MP's apology came following an uproar in the wake of video footage of the incident and opposition demanding that action be taken against him.
On his part, Kurup thanked the 39-year-old actress for withdrawing her complaint against him.
"I have not committed any offence. I apologised to Shweta Menon because as part of the organising committee, I felt sorry for her hurt feelings," Kurup told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
Shweta last night withdrew her complaint against the Lok Sabha member from Kollam within hours after police registered an FIR based on the statement she had given to police earlier in the day. Later, she formally conveyed her decision to Kollam East police through an e-mail.
Police said the FIR in the case had already been submitted to a local court and Shweta's statement will have to be recorded again if the case has to be closed.
Shweta made the surprising announcement that she was dropping the charge against Kurup since he had apologised profusely for the distress caused to her.
"In the wake of Peetambhara Kurup's repeated public and personal apology about the incident at the President's Boat Race at Kollam, I am withdrawing all legal and other actions against him," the actress said.
She said this decision followed consultations with her 'guruji', her father and husband, and made it clear there was no pressure whatsoever behind the move.
Shweta had earlier stated that she stood by the charge against Kurup in her statement given to the police.
Kurup had held that the charge was politically motivated, totally untrue and produced some photographs of Friday's event, claiming that the actress was harassed by some others.
He said on Sunday that though he did not indulge in such a mean act "by look or by touch", he regretted if the actress felt offended during the function.
Following Shweta's statement, police had registered a case against Kurup charging him under IPC sections 354 and 354 (A) for assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty.
Acting on the DYFI complaint, a police team led by a woman Circle Inspector had gone to Kochi yesterday to record Shweta's statement.She had told the team at her apartment that she was insulted by Kurup during the boat race in Ashtamudi lake at Kollam, to which she was invited as a guest.
