The Hindu : Kerala News : Nalini Netto case: 3 witnesses cross-examined

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Tuesday, Sep 28, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Nalini Netto case: 3 witnesses cross-examined

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, SEPT. 27. Three prosecution witnesses were cross-examined today in the ongoing trial in the case against the former Transport Minister, A. Neelalohithadasan Nadar, that he tried to outrage the modesty of the former Transport Secretary, Nalini Netto, at his office in the Assembly complex on December 21, 1999.

Former driver's deposal

The former Transport Department driver, M. Ramachandran Nair, told the court of the Judicial First Class Magistrate III, Cherian K. Kuriakose, that when he dropped Mr. Nadar's private secretary, V. V. Vijayan, at the annexe building at 2 p. m. and was parking the car, Ms. Netto was ready to go out.

When she got into the car, she had asked him to take her home immediately. "Since her speech sounded unusual, I turned and looked at her before starting. Madam had covered the side of her mouth with her saree," Mr. Ramachandran Nair said.

He had driven Ms. Netto to her house in Jagathy and on reaching there, she got out of the car and went inside without saying anything to him. This was unusual because normally, she would say something to him, Mr. Ramachandran Nair said. He had waited for about three hours, after which Ms. Netto came out, got into the car and asked to be taken to her mother's house at Thycaud.

Mental condition

The former Finance Secretary, K.M. Abraham, deposed that when he was questioned by the police on March 23, 2000, he had told the investigating officer about the mental condition of Ms. Netto after the incident. He had not advised her to inform the police or to file a complaint. However, he had asked her to make a formal complaint if she wanted to make one.

Mr. Abraham said he had been a member of the bid evaluation committee for the traffic and transportation study for Thiruvananthapuram city. If there was no provision in the budget for a particular expenditure, there were certain special procedures that could be adopted, which need not necessarily have Cabinet sanction.

During his examination on September 25, Mr. Abraham had told the court that Ms. Netto called him on December 27, 1999, and said that she wanted to talk. When he asked her to come to his room, she said it was something personal, and so he had gone to her room.

She looked very tense and disturbed, Mr. Abraham stated. She told him that on December 21, when she went to the office of the accused for transacting official business, he caught hold of her hand and said that he had longed to have her for long.

She also said that the accused had outraged her modesty, and that she had managed to escape from the room. "My colleague was undergoing a severe trauma and I tried to console her," Mr. Abraham said.

Conference

During the District Collectors' conference at the Guest House on January 28, 2000, which Mr. Nadar was attending, Ms. Netto had requested Mr. Abraham for his company. She had told him that she had not met the accused ever since the incident and the presence of a friend would be reassuring. "I found that she was still undergoing so much of mental agony and trauma," he stated.

The former KSRTC manager, G. Saseendra Babu, who was in charge of allotting vehicles to the Transport Minister's staff and Secretary, was also examined today. The hearing would continue on October 5.

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