Kochi: The police have detained a person who allegedly uploaded a sleaze video on Twitter aiming to defame the CPM candidate Dr Jo Joseph in the Thrikkakara assembly bypoll.
The news broke even as the voting for the bypoll was progressing in the constituency on Tuesday.
The police took Abdul Latheef, a native of Kottakkal, Malappuram from Coimbatore on Monday night. He was being interrogated by the Ernakulam City Police.
TV reports said Latheef is a supporter of the Indian Union Muslim League, a prominent ally of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).
The Congress has rubbished the allegation and termed the police action an election stunt.
Police sources said the sleaze video was uploaded to a fake Twitter account created by Latheef. The video was then widely circulated on other social media platforms. Latheef had gone into hiding after the police launched a probe into the incident based on a complaint by Dr Joseph.
The police had earlier arrested five people for circulating the video. The ruling Left Democratic Front has alleged that the UDF was behind the fake video. Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan had challenged the government to trace the person who uploaded the video so that the LDF's role behind the controversy would come out.
Reacting to the nabbing of the suspect who uploaded the video, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Tuesday said the UDF carried out the heinous act fearing a defeat in the bypoll. He alleged a conspiracy behind the incident.
Satheesan, however, reiterated that the CPM was behind the video. He said the UDF had no clue about the IUML links of the suspect.
IUML leader KPA Majeed said Latheef does not have even the primary membership of his party. He said the attempt to link IUML to the incident for political gains will not succeed.
The bypoll in Thrikkakara, necessitated by the death of Congress MLA P T Thomas, has been witnessing heavy polling since Tuesday morning. Thomas' widow Uma Thomas is the Congress candidate while the CPM has fielded cardiologist Dr Joseph. Senior leader A N Radhakrishnan is the BJP candidate.
