Kasaragod: The Kasaragod District and Sessions Court directed BJP state president K Surendran and others, who are accused in the Manjeswaram election bribery case, to mandatorily appear before the court on September 21. The court expressed displeasure over them not turning up on Tuesday and told them to appear for the next sitting. 

The court had earlier considered the case on May 20. However, the hearing was adjourned to August 5 after the accused failed to show up. Later, the hearing was postponed again due to the absence of the district principal justice. The case was again heard on Tuesday. The new development comes at this juncture. 

The case pertains to Surendran offering two and a half lakh rupees and a smartphone to K Sundara, a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader, to withdraw his candidature in Manjeswaram during the last assembly election.

Following the incident, Sundara revealed the ordeal and claimed that the BJP leader threatened him. Later, the police registered a case based on the complaint filed by LDF Candidate VV Ramesan.

Besides Surendran, his Chief Election Officer and former BJP district president Adv K Balakrishna Shetty, Yuva Morcha leaders Sunil Naik, Y Suresh, Manikanta Rai, and Lokesh Londa are the other accused in the case.