On Sunday, Kerala Congress president Sunny Joseph announced the immediate suspension of Jose Franklin, a Thiruvananthapuram DCC general secretary and Neyyattinkara municipal councillor, following grave allegations of sexual harassment. The decision comes in the wake of a tragic incident involving a 52-year-old woman from Neyyattinkara, who took her own life and left behind a note accusing Franklin of harassing her under the guise of offering financial assistance. The allegations have sparked outrage and cast a spotlight on accountability within the party.

According to the woman’s suicide note, addressed to her son, Franklin allegedly lured her to his office with promises of securing a loan to help clear her debts. Instead, she claimed he made inappropriate sexual demands and repeatedly visited her small bakery, continuing his advances. “Whenever I asked about the loan, he told me to ‘come and see me’ and made indecent remarks,” she wrote, adding that his persistent harassment made her life “unbearable.” The note detailed her financial struggles and inability to live peacefully without complying with his demands, ultimately driving her to end her life.

Initially, authorities suspected the woman’s death was due to a gas leak fire, but further investigation revealed a kerosene bottle in her kitchen, confirming she had doused herself with kerosene, opened the gas valve, and set herself ablaze. A separate suicide note addressed to her daughter was also found. The woman, a widow living with her two children, had recently started a bakery to support her family after her husband’s passing. Her son reported to the police that Franklin frequently called his mother late at night, harassing her and contributing to her decision to take the extreme step.

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A case has been registered against Franklin for sexual harassment and abetment to suicide, though the district sessions court has granted him anticipatory bail. The incident has raised serious questions about the misuse of power and the safety of vulnerable individuals seeking assistance. As the investigation continues, the Congress party’s swift action to suspend Franklin reflects its intent to address the allegations seriously, but the tragedy has left the community grappling with grief and demands for justice.

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