HC quashes harassment case against MSF president PK Navas filed by Haritha leaders

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday quashed a case of sexual harassment against Muslim Students Federation (MSF) state President P K Navas filed by members of Haritha, the women's wing of MSF.

The single-bench judge A Badharudeen quashed the case after the complainant Najma Thabsheera, the former general secretary of Haritha, filed an affidavit before the high court saying she did not want to pursue the case. In May, after she filed the affidavit, the HC stayed for two weeks all proceedings in the case pending before the Judicial First Class Magistrate-IV, Kozhikode.

According to the then leaders of Haritha, Navas made derogatory and insulting remarks against them during the State Committee meeting of MSF on June 24, 2021.

Later, 10 members of Haritha approached the State Women's Commission against two MSF leaders, including Navas, after MSF's parent organisation the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) did not respond to their complaints. Based on the complaint, Kozhikode's Vellayil Police registered an FIR and charged Navas with Section 509 of the IPC for insulting a woman's modesty through offensive words. The IUML had then disbanded the state committee of Haritha and set up a new committee.

In November 2021, the police submitted the charge sheet before the JFCM-IV, Kozhikode. If convicted, Navas would have faced up to three years of simple imprisonment.

Advocates Mohammed Shah and Sajal, who represented Navas and Thabsheera, said the two sides resolved the matter after the intervention by the top leaders of the Muslim League, and after agreeing that they should work together in the best interest of the organisation. Adv Shah is the state secretary of the IUML and Adv Sajal is the national secretary of the MSF.