Chennai, Monday 11 May 2009: The verdict in the Flight controversy case involving former minister P.J Joseph will be pronounced today. The Chennai Sriperambathur District Magistrate Court will pronounce the verdict.

The case, which was earlier underway at the Judicial Magistrate Court in Alandur, was transferred to Sriperumbudur Court.

P J Joseph, the then PWD minister during a flight to Kochi from Chennai allegedly misbehaved with Lakshmi Gopakumar in August 2006.

The woman had then lodged a complaint with the flight crew. Later a complaint was lodged with the Meenambakkam police. The issue created a political storm in Kerala and PJ Joseph was forced to resign from the minister’s post.

The Kerala government initially had ordered an independent probe by IG Sandhya into the incident. The official in her report concluded that Mr Joseph had extended his hand through the gap of the seat in front and touched the body of Ms Lakshmi Gopakumar in such a manner that he outraged her modesty.

The officer had also said in the report that prima facie there was no conspiracy by the victim with anybody as far as the incident was concerned.