Kerala BJP chief K Surendran booked in bribery case

Kozhikode: Sultan Bathery police today registered FIRs against Kerala BJP chief K Surendran and Janadhipathya Rashtriya Sabha (JRS) leader C K Janu after a court ordered to initiate a probe into an alleged bribery case. They were booked under various charges, including the bribery charge.

The order comes after the Judicial First Class Magistrate Sulthan Bathery took note of the allegations against K Surendran that he had offered money to CK Janu to contest from Sulthan Bathery constituency on NDA ticket in the Kerala Assembly elections 2021.

The court delivered the order in an online sitting and the official order will be transferred to the authority concerned on Thursday.

The order was passed based on a petition filed by Muslim Students Federation (MSF) state president P K Navas.

Following the order, a case was registered under sections 171E (punishment for bribery) and 171F (punishment for undue influence or personation at an election) of the IPC, sources said.

Earlier, JRP treasurer Praseetha Azhikode had alleged that Janu had taken money to join the NDA. Praseeda had even released a series of audio clips of telephone conversations between Surendran and her to substantiate her allegations.

She also added that she will give evidence and co-operate in any regard if the probe team approaches her for the case.

Praseetha, meanwhile, also demanded an inquiry into the money given to the NDA's assembly election campaign in Bathery.

On Monday, a court in Kasargode had allowed the police to register a case against Surendran and two other party leaders following allegations that the saffron party had 'bribed' a rival candidate to withdraw his nomination from Manjeshwaram constituency in the recent Assembly elections.

He was booked under Sections 171 B (bribery) and E (punishment for bribery) of the IPC by Badiadka police in Kasaragod after Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate K Sundara alleged that he was given Rs 2.5 lakh and a smartphone by K Surendran to withdraw his nomination.

Amid the allegations, BJP has accused the Pinarayi Vijayan government of trying to "tarnish" the party's image and to "harass" its leaders out of "political vendetta".

Meanwhile, K Surendran has alleged that the controversial tree felling in Wayanad resulted as part of CPI's plan to raise funds for the election campaign.

The BJP leader demanded an investigation to find out how the money generated from tree smuggling was utilised.

He also criticised that CPI and CPM allotted forest department to NCP being aware of the tree felling case.