BJP State president and five others acquitted in Manjeswaram bribery case

Surendran was accused of bribing BSP candidate K. Sundara with ₹2.5 lakh and a smartphone to withdraw his nomination in the 2021 Assembly elections

The Kasaragod Sessions Court has acquitted six accused, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president K. Surendran, in the high-profile Manjeswaram election bribery case on Saturday.

According to the prosecution, Mr. Surendran and others bribed Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate K. Sundara with ₹2.5 lakh and a smartphone to withdraw his candidacy in the 2021 Assembly elections. Mr. Surendran was listed as the primary accused in the case. BJP district secretary K. Manikanda Rai; Y. Suresh Naik; Yuva Morcha former State treasurer Sunil Naik; former BJP district president K. Balakrishna Shetty; and Lokesh Nonda are the other accused.

Notably,Mr. Sundara, who first raised the allegation of bribery, did not file any petition. It wasCommunist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] district secretariat member V.V. Ramesan who filed the complaint. He had contested against Mr. Surendran in the Manjeswaram constituency. Also. Mr. Sundara and his mother’s shifting statements undermined the case. The defence highlighted discrepancies in their testimonies, with the BSP candidate repeatedly changing his account of events, including the claim that no bribe was offered by the accused.

Mr. Sundara had also publicly confirmed a voluntary withdrawal of nomination at the Collectorate and a BJP Election Committee office. This was also presented as evidence by the defence. The prosecution was unable to counter the defence’s claim that Mr. Sundara’s bribery allegations were made under external pressure, which further weakened the case.

The court considered the argument that the case was politically motivated. The defence also alleged that the SC-ST department was included in the case out of political vendetta.

The acquittal came after the Crime Branch submitted a chargesheet following an extensive investigation. However, the full reasoning behind the court’s decision will only be clear once the detailed judgment is released.

As the court directed them to appear in person, all the six accused were present in the court

Mr. Surendran, speaking to the media, expressed his relief and also frustration. He said that around 300 cases have been filed against him in the State and called them all fake cases.   “No public servant in India has been involved in so many cases,” he said. He added that taking legal action against those who filed the cases would be difficult given the huge number.

Published - October 05, 2024 08:08 pm IST