Wayanad: A video recorded by senior Congress leader Jose Nelledam shortly before his death by suicide has surfaced, in which he alleged that the corruption charges against him—linked to a fake illicit liquor and crude explosive case involving fellow leader Kanattumalayil Thankachan—were fabricated by those jealous of him.

“The accusations were raised by people envious of my work. They aim to eliminate me from society. For my blood, they made allegations strong enough to destroy even the future of my children,” he said in the video.

Jose Nelledam, 57, a ward member of Mullankolly panchayat, Wayanad, was found dead in a pond near his house on Friday. Police said he had consumed poison and slit his left wrist before jumping into the pond. Friends revealed that he had been under severe stress since the controversial arrest of Thankachan alias Augustin on August 22.

Thankachan had been arrested for allegedly possessing five litres of illicit liquor from Karnataka and 15 crude explosives found in his car porch. He was later released after police submitted a report in court establishing his innocence. Following the release, he accused Jose and a few others of conspiring to frame him. Jose ended his life while police were still probing the alleged conspiracy.

In the video, Jose explained that he had passed the information about liquor and explosives to the police as part of his role in the Jana Jagratha Samithi of his ward. “I have forwarded similar tips earlier, too, which helped the police seize explosives and narcotics. These were not my personal inputs but information from locals that I conveyed to the police,” he said.

He stressed that it was the police’s responsibility to verify such intelligence before registering a case. “On August 26, police contacted me over the phone, and I shared whatever I knew. They said they would reach out again if they needed further help,” he added.

Jose expressed his anguish over being branded a conspirator on social media. “As a politician, I never accepted anything undeserving. As a human being, I cannot endure these false accusations. I have always stood with people who sought help and never turned anyone away,” he said.

“This is not how a progressive society should treat a person who worked for the community,” he added.

Jose also refuted allegations of corruption. “They spread claims that I made crores through scams and bribes, including from quarry owners. The truth is, I am burdened with nearly ₹50 lakh debt in three banks in Wayanad. These allegations were made only to destroy me and my family. I have never done wrong to the public,” he concluded.