In a major relief to Janatha Dal (Secular) leader, Jose Thettayil, the Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the petition alleging sexual harassment against him. The court, which observed that the charges were politically motivated, opined that the woman who had levelled charges of sexual abuse was in fact trapping the JD (S) leader and former MLA.

The bench, headed by Justice T S Thakur, said that sleeping with an old man in order to enter into a wedlock with his son is something that is unheard of. It was the woman who had invited Jose Thettayil to the flat and the intimate moments were captured in a camera. So it cannot be said that Thettayil had raped the woman, the court ruled

In the complaint the woman says that she had decided to teach Thettayil a lesson, the court observed. Had the case been against Thettayil's son, alleging deceit after the promise of marriage, there could have been some justification, the apex court observed while dismissing the petition against Jose Thettayil.