Wayanad: The state police crime branch, on Wednesday, submitted a charge sheet in the ‘election bribery’ case registered in 2021 involving BJP state president K Surendran and tribal activist CK Janu of the Janadhipathya Rashtreeya Party (JRP).
K Surendran is the first accused in the case which was registered after JRP state treasurer Praseetha Azhikode said the BJP had given CK Janu Rs.35 lakh to be part of the NDA alliance in the state prior to the Assembly election of 2021.
The 452-page charge sheet listed K Surendran, CK Janu, and BJP’s former district general secretary Prasnath Malavalayl as the first, second, and third accused, respectively.
Deputy superintendent of police R Manojkumar submitted the charge sheet in the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Sulthan Bathery, along with 62 supporting documents including statements of 83 witnesses and scientific examination results of mobile phone conversations.
The charges against the accused include bribery in connection with election, influencing the election process by illegal means, tampering with evidence, and criminal conspiracy.
The ‘incident’ caught attention when multiple voice clips of the purported phone conversation between Praseetha Azhikode, Surendran, and CK Janu started circulating on social media. This was later picked up by mainstream media. According to Praseetha Azhikode, the amount was handed over to CK Janu by BJP leaders in two instalments. The first instalment of Rs.10 lakh was allegedly handed over by Surendran himself in Thiruvananthapuram. The second, Rs.25 lakh, was given to her by Prasanth Malavayal at a resort in Sulthan Bathery on March 26, 2021, Praseetha Azhikode had said.
Crime branch sleuths had quizzed K Surendran, CK Janu, and Prasanth Malavayal on Tuesday in Kalpetta.
The case was registered by the Sulthan Bathery police on a petition submitted by Muslim Students’ Federation (MSF) state president PK Navas in the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Sulthan Bathery, in 2021. The then district police chief Aravind Sukumar recommended handing over the case to the crime branch.
