Kasaragod: In a huge relief for BJP State President K Surendran, the Kasaragod Sessions Court on Saturday accepted his discharge plea in the Manjeswaram bribery case.
Surendran and five other accused filed the discharge petition in September 2023, claiming that the case was fabricated with a political motive. Although the verdict was scheduled for the previous day, the court instructed the petitioners to appear in person.
The case alleges that K Sundara, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate from the Manjeswaram constituency in the 2021 Assembly elections, was bribed and later threatened to withdraw his nomination. It is claimed that Rs 2.5 lakh and a mobile phone were offered to him as a bribe. The case, originally registered by the Badiadka police, was later investigated by a special team led by District Crime Branch DySP A Satish Kumar, and the chargesheet was submitted to the court.
The complaint was filed by VV Ramesan, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate from Manjeswaram in the same election. BJP state president K Surendran was the main accused in the case. Other accused include former BJP district president K Balakrishna Shetty, Yuva Morcha’s former state treasurer Sunil Naik, and party leaders K Manikanda Rai, Y Suresh, and Lokesh Noda.