Sex scandals and politics seem to go hand in hand. Such is the case of the Ice Cream Parlour sex scandal that first appeared in 1997. This is a sex scandal that has been long-running. It took place in Kozhikode, Kerala, South India. The ice cream parlor was actually a front for a brothel. It is alleged to have played host to a number of high profile politicians. Adding more fuel to the scandals fire are the allegations that the Kerala government obstructed the investigations progress intentionally as a means of protecting their friends, families, and themselves.
It was discovered that a sex racket was being run by a woman, named Ms. Sreedevi, and the RKS Ice Cream parlor in Kozhikode. A complaint was lodged against the Ice Cream Parlour in August of 1997. Police took action at the time, arresting Ms. Sreedevi. 15 more individuals would be added to the list of accused individuals who took part in the sex scandal. In the end, all of those that were accused in this case were eventually acquitted due to a lack of evidence.
One of the most prominent clients of this brothel was Indian Union Muslims League's P.K. Kunhalikutty, who was a state industries minister at the time. One of the witnesses, named Regina, alleged that the minister sexually exploited her back in the early '90s. In January of 2005, Regina repeated these allegations to the media in detail. This was the cause for Kunhalikutty choosing to step down as minister.
Kunhalikutty's brother-in-law, K.M. Rauf, told the press that Kunhalikutty had bribed a number of the victims and judges in a bid to save himself from the fallout of the sex scandal case. Rauf also claimed that he has more than enough evidence to prove this. He also alleges that Kunhalikutty had illicit affairs with over 10 women linked to the Ice Cream Parlour scandal. He also shared that he gave money to the victims in this case on Kunhalikutty's behalf, and the proof would be made public when the time was right.
Kunhalikutty shared with Malappuram Friday reporters that he feared for his life and threats had been made on his life by his brother-in-law, including blackmail with a forged CD.
In November of 2013, former chief minister, V.S. Achuthanandan, submitted a plea to CBI to order an independent probe into the Ice Cream parlor case and the fact that justice for the victims had been subverted. He pointed out that the investigation had not moved forward in over a decade. However, he believes this can be rectified with an independent investigation.
Achuthanandan pointed out that, even though fresh information was given by Rauf in 2011, the investigation that followed was not done appropriately. Achuthanandan's petition for a CBI probe was first dismissed in 2011, and again in August of 2013.
Kunhalikutty was never added to the list of accused in this case. However, he did come under a cloud of suspicion in the wake of the sex scandal, which forced him to quit the ministry at the time.