Kerala minister accused of infidelity by wife; alleges assault by his staff

Kerala transport minister and Kerala Congress (B) leader KB Ganesh Kumar has been accused of infidelity by his wife, Bindu Menon, who alleged that she caught him in a compromising situation with another woman at their residence in Valakom in Kollam district. Menon claimed she has photographic evidence of the incident on her phone and said she revealed the matter despite fears for her safety.

Menon further alleged that members of the minister’s staff, including his driver, physically assaulted her and attempted to delete the visuals from her phone after she confronted them. She said she called the police helpline seeking assistance, but the officers who arrived at the scene allegedly did not register a case or take action regarding her complaint of assault.

Responding to the allegations, Ganesh Kumar did not directly deny them and described the issue as a personal matter. He maintained that his private life should not be interfered with and alleged that the accusations were part of a political campaign against him ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. He also asserted that voters in his constituency would continue to support him based on his work as a public representative.

The controversy quickly drew political reactions, with opposition leaders questioning the police response to Menon’s complaint. The leader of the opposition said that if a minister’s wife could not get immediate help after calling the police, it raised serious concerns about the safety of women in the state.

Ganesh Kumar, a five-time MLA from the Pathanapuram constituency, is also a film actor and the son of late Kerala Congress leader K Balakrishna Pillai. He was inducted into the state cabinet in 2023 after replacing Antony Raju and has previously served as a minister during earlier governments.