Rape accused councillor surrenders before police

Palakkad: Municipal councillor Prashobh Vatsalan, accused in a sexual assault case, surrendered before Palakkad Town police on Wednesday after high court rejected his anticipatory bail plea.

He was later remanded to judicial custody.Police had intensified efforts to trace Prashobh after the high court dismissed his anticipatory bail plea. Earlier, SC/ST special court in Mannarkkad had also rejected his bail application, following which he approached the high court seeking relief.According to the complaint lodged by the survivor, a Dalit woman, Prashobh allegedly befriended her after offering a job opportunity and later trespassed into her residence and sexually assaulted her.The complaint was submitted to the then chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, following which police registered a case on the directions of the district police chief.Prashobh, who was a Congress member, represents ward 24 in the municipality. He was expelled from the party after police registered a case against him.