Setback for K Surendran: HC stays order discharging BJP leader in election bribery case

Kochi: In a major setback for the BJP in Kerala, the High Court on Wednesday stayed a lower court order discharging BJP state president K Surendran and five others from the Manjeshwaram election bribery case. The HC will send a notice to K Surendran regarding this.

Surendran and others were discharged by the Kasaragod Sessions Judge Sanu S Panicker on October 5. The judge, allowing the discharge plea of the accused, said that the first accused -- Surendran -- was discharged of the offences under various provisions of the IPC and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (prevention of atrocities) Act 1989.

"Since the first accused is discharged of the alleged offences, I do not find any ground to proceed against the other accused also. Hence, they are also discharged of all the alleged offences," the judge said.

Surendran was accused of intimidating his rival candidate to withdraw from the contest for the Manjeshwaram constituency in the 2021 assembly polls.

He was charged under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which are non-bailable, and under sections 171 (B) and (E) (Bribery) of the Indian Penal Code.

The case was registered as per the directions of a Magistrate Court which considered a petition filed by V V Ramesan, the CPI(M) candidate, who fought the election against Surendran in Manjeswaram.

The case was later handed over to the Crime Branch.

BSP candidate Sundara had alleged that he was initially threatened and later given Rs 2.5 lakh as a bribe by the BJP to withdraw from the contest.

Sundara had claimed that Sunil Naik, a Yuva Morcha leader and a close aide of Surendran, had handed over the money and a smartphone to him. The BJP had denied the allegations.

Sundara, a Yakshagana artiste, had contested the election in 2016. He had filed his nomination once again in 2021, but had withdrawn.