The district Crime Branch (CB) has opened an inquiry against BJP State president K. Surendran on the charge of bribing a potential rival candidate to withdraw his nomination in the recent Assembly election.
The Kasaragod First Class Judicial Magistrate Court had on Monday given its permission to register a case against Mr. Surendran. Following the court order, the Badiyadukka police registered a case against Mr. Surendran under Section 171B of the Indian Penal Code.
K. Sundara, who filed his nomination as BSP candidate from Manjeswaram, had withdrawn his nomination to contest in the election.
He later joined the BJP. However, he had recently revealed that he withdrew the nomination after the BJP paid him ₹2.5 lakh, a mobile phone, and gave assurance to help him build a house and get a wine shop licence.
Following this, LDF candidate V.V. Ramesan filed a petition in the Kasaragod First Class Judicial Magistrate Court seeking a police inquiry against Mr. Surendran. At present, in the FIR, the case is only against Mr. Surendran.
However, based on Mr. Sundara’s statement, the Badiyadukka police plan to add local BJP leaders in the case and impose more criminal provisions. Mr. Sundara had also told the police that the BJP leaders had abducted and threatened him to withdraw the papers.
The preliminary investigation report, which will be included in the FIR, will include charges of kidnapping, detention, and intimidation, the police said.
The police have moved to include Sunil Naik, Suresh Naik,and Ashok Shetty, who were part of the BJP team that went to Mr. Sundara’s house to pay the money, in the FIR.
