‘Bribing ballot rival’: Kasaragod police take over case towards BJP state prez Okay Surendran

By Express News Service
KASARAGOD: The Kasaragod district crime department has taken over the investigation into the FIR towards BJP state president Okay Surendran for allegedly bribing a rival candidate Okay Sundara to drag out of the meeting election in Manjeshwar.

The case can be investigated by District Crime Branch deputy superintendent of police Satheesh Kumar A.

The FIR was registered underneath part 117 B of the IPC (election bribery) on the route of Kasaragod Judicial First Class Magistrate Court – II on a petition filed by CPM district committee member and LDF candidate in Manjeshwar V V Rameshan.

Badiadka station home officer Inspector Salim stated the case file can be transferred to the district crime department quickly.

The case hinges on an announcement given by Sundara to police that BJP leaders Suresh Naik and Ashok Shetty and Surendran’s confidant Sunil Naik gave him Rs 2.5 lakh and a Chinese smartphone price Rs 15,000 to withdraw from the election.

He had additionally alleged that he was kidnapped in Suresh Naik’s automotive and illegally detained to pressurise him to drag out of the election.

Kasaragod DySP P P Sadanandan instructed The New Indian Express on Monday that Suresh Naik, Ashok Shetty, and Sunil Naik would even be booked within the case and charged with unlawful gratification, abduction, unlawful detention, and legal intimidation.

The BJP might need perceived Sundara to be a menace as a result of he garnered 467 votes within the 2016 Assembly election when he contested as an impartial candidate in Manjeshwar. In the identical election, the BJP’s Surendran misplaced by 89 votes.

This 12 months, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) fielded Sundara however he withdrew his nomination papers on March 22.

Surendran went on to lose the election by 745 votes. Another namesake, Surendran M, obtained 197 votes.

Police threatening Sundara: BJP

Meanwhile, BJP district president Okay Shreekanth instructed reporters on Tuesday that Sundara made the allegations towards the BJP leaders underneath menace from the Kerala police.

“Sundara withdrew the nomination papers on his free will. The police threatened him to make the statement against the BJP. The police are working as a spatula of the state government,” Shreekanth stated.

On Monday, he alleged the grievance was a conspiracy of the CPM and the Indian Union Muslim League.

Sundara moved to Congress pocket

Meanwhile, Sundara and his mom moved out of his home at Vaninagar in Enmakaje to his uncle’s home at Shenni in the identical panchayat. He stated he and his mom shifted home fearing threats from the BJP.

Vaninagar is a pocket of the BJP and Shenni is a stronghold of the Congress. Sundara is a sympathiser of the UDF.