Bangalore: A woman leader of the Democratic Youth Federation of India has accused a CPM legislator in Kerala of sexual harassment, landing the MLA in a spot amid suggestions of attempts to buy the complainant's silence.

The woman leader, who has complained to the CPM's state and central leaderships, alleged that P.K. Sasi tried to sexually abuse her at the party office in Mannarkkad town in Palakkad district.

She also alleged that Sasi, MLA from Shoranur, made lewd phone calls.

Sasi, who represents Shoranur in Palakkad and is a member of the CPM's district committee, has denied the charge and claimed what he called a "well-planned conspiracy" to malign him.

The woman leader had first sent a written complaint to CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who apparently did not respond, prompting her to send another complaint to politburo member Brinda Karat.

Party sources said the letter was sent by registered post on August 14, but Brinda received it on August 30.

With over a fortnight gone and no response still, the woman then sent a complaint to CPM national general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who received it on Monday.

Yechury confirmed receiving the complaint. "Yes, I have received the complaint yesterday and it has been forwarded to the Kerala unit. They have stared inquiry into it. This is our usual practice," he told reporters in Delhi.

Sources said the woman also claimed that Sasi sent peacemakers who sought to buy her silence for Rs 1 crore apart from offering powerful posts in the DYFI and the CPM.

Sasi, who comes from CPM bastion Kannur and is considered close to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, feigned ignorance about the allegations. "I don't know what complaint you are talking about. I only got to know this complaint from the media. My party has not informed me about any complaint," he told reporters in Palakkad on Tuesday.

"Has anyone been able to question my credibility? My voters know me and my good work," he added.

In the same breath he said it was not his first "political challenge".

"I have overcome many challenges in my political career. There are still many people who wish to destroy my political career. They may be behind this," he said.

"As an important political worker of an important political party, one needs to expect certain accusations. But never did I imagine that I would have to face such an accusation."

The Youth Congress and the BJP Yuva Morcha held separate protests outside Sasi's office in Palakkad and demanded a police case against the MLA.

A morning meeting between the CPM state leadership and DYFI leaders added more fuel to the development. But CPM state secretary Balakrishnan rejected the perception that he sat on the complaint. "I received it three weeks ago and promptly began internal investigations," he said.

Asked why the complaint had not been forwarded to the police, Balakrishnan said: "By complaining to the party, the complainant had technically decided not to go to the police."

The party machinery has ways to handle any complaint it receives, he said, adding no one would be spared if found guilty.

This is not the first time a member of the ruling Left has come under scrutiny for alleged sexual misconduct.

Transport minister A.K. Saseendran, a member of the NCP that is part of the front, had to resign and face a court case after a Malayalam channel played an audio clip claiming it was the minister's sleaze chat with a woman.

The police eventually found that a reporter from the same channel tried to trap the minister and used the tape on the new channel's launch day.

A court acquitted Saseendran after the woman withdrew her complaint by raising doubts whether the man who spoke to her was indeed the minister. Saseendran has since been reinstated.

In June 2011, Kannur district CPM secretary P. Sasi (not to be confused with Shoranur MLA Sasi) was slapped with a rape case for an alleged assault on a DYFI leader's wife.

P. Sasi, who had served as political secretary to former chief minister E.K. Nayanar, was expelled from the party.

He returned as an ordinary member two months after a court acquitted him last year.

Some insiders said the party has a history of such allegations being used to settle power struggles. In 2012, for instance, Ernakulam district secretary Gopi Kottamurikkal, a one-time loyalist of former chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan, was removed following a sting operation in the party office involving a woman lawyer.

At that time, he had switched loyalties, giving the Pinarayi Vijayan faction a decisive upper hand in the district.

Kottamurikkal too is back in the party, although he keeps a low profile now.