Kozhikode: In the first-ever verdict against a politician in Kerala for sexual misconduct, a court in Kozhikode today (Sep 23, 2004) sentenced former minister Neelalohitadasan Nadar to one-year imprisonment for harassing a woman IFS officer in 1999 when he was Forests Minister in the E K Nayanar cabinet.

Nadar of Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) MLA from Kovalam, was convicted for sexually harassing Prakriti Srivastava at the Government Guest House in Kozhikode on Feb 27, 1999, when she went to visit him in her official capacity as Divisional Forests Officer, Kozhikode.

Judicial First Class Magistrate B Sasidharan, who passed the verdict, gave Nadar one-month time to file an appeal before a higher court. Coming out of courtroom, Nadar told reporters that he would file an appeal against the verdict.

"Justice has been done. I have always felt that truth will ultimately win. The verdict will help uphold the dignity and honour of women," Srivastava told sources.

A case on the matter was first filed by the Nadakkavu Police on a complaint from Srivastava. Later, the investigation was handed over to the Crime Branch, which began the probe in Oct 2001 and completed it within four months.

Nadar is facing another sexual harassment charge from a woman IAS officer Nalini Netto, whom he allegedly harassed inside the minister's chamber in the Legislature Complex at Thiruvananthapuram on Dec 21 the same year.

Netto complained about the minister's misbehaviour to the then Chief Minister E K Nayanar on Feb 9, 2000, following which he had to resign from the ministry.

A judicial probe was ordered into the incident and the Commission's sitting is now being held in the capital.