The Kerala High Court has temporarily stayed the acquittal of BJP state president K Surendran and five others in the Manjeshwar election bribery case. This comes after the Kasaragod Sessions Court had earlier discharged Surendran from charges under the IPC and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The government appealed the decision, alleging collusion between the BJP and CPM, with opposition parties raising concerns about a possible deal between the CPM and RSS.
Surendran was accused of bribing BSP candidate Sundara during the 2021 Manjeshwar Assembly election. Sundara claimed that BJP leaders, including Yuva Morcha’s Sunil Naik, offered him Rs 2.5 lakh and a mobile phone to withdraw his nomination. The charges were filed under sections related to bribery and non-bailable offenses, but the court initially discharged Surendran and his associates, citing procedural delays and lack of timely evidence submission.
The investigation team had gathered evidence of Sundara’s abduction and the alleged bribery, but they failed to present it effectively in court. Sundara’s claims first surfaced through media reports, leading the LDF candidate, V.V. Ramesh, to file a formal complaint requesting an inquiry. The case was delayed, with the charge sheet being submitted more than a year after the alleged incident.
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