The prosecution and the investigation team have faced severe criticism from the Kasaragod Sessions Court for their handling of the Manjeswaram election corruption case, involving Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president K. Surendran and five others. A detailed judgment released by the court highlighted significant procedural failures, including the delayed filing of chargesheet and lack of evidence, leading to the acquittal of the accused.
The court pointed out that the chargesheet was filed one year and seven months after the alleged bribery, far exceeding the mandated one-year period. The reasons for the delay were not adequately explained. Furthermore, there was no evidence proving that K. Sundara, a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate in the 2021 election, was coerced into withdrawing his candidacy. Mr. Sundara admitted to receiving ₹2.5 lakh, but stated it was used for medical expenses and house repairs, casting doubt on the allegations of intimidation. Mr. Sundara’s subsequent announcement of joining the BJP also raised questions about the legitimacy of the charges.
Congress’s charges
The case had been a major political weapon for the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] against the BJP. The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF), on its part, alleged collusion between the CPI(M) and the BJP to protect Mr. Surendran and the other accused. The Congress also accused the prosecution of corruption, noting the absence of the special public prosecutor during the verdict’s delivery and arguing that this absence and the procedural lapses signified a deliberate attempt to weaken the prosecution’s case.
The case pertains to the 2021 Assembly elections when Mr. Sundara withdrew his candidacy after allegedly receiving a bribe from the BJP. He had previously contested as an Independent candidate in the 2016 elections, securing 467 votes, which many believe contributed to Mr. Surendran’s narrow loss to the Indian Union Muslim League’s P.B. Abdul Razak by 89 votes.
The court accepted Mr. Surendran’s defense that the charges were unwarranted and lacked credible evidence. Alongside him, BJP’s former district president K. Balakrishna Shetty, Yuva Morcha’s former State treasurer Sunil Naik, K. Manikanda Rai, Y. Suresh, and Lokesh Noda too were acquitted.
Published – October 07, 2024 06:14 pm IST
