Kerala Court Discharges K Surendran From Manjeshwaram Poll Bribery Case

K Surendran

A Kerala court on Saturday has discharged BJP state president K. Surendran and 5 others from the Manjeshwaram election bribery case on Saturday.

The ruling came from Kasaragod Sessions Judge Sanu S. Panicker.

Surendran’s lawyer stated that the court determined there was insufficient evidence for the case to proceed. The defense successfully argued that a trial was unnecessary, asserting that the case was fabricated and politically motivated.

After the verdict, Surendran addressed the media, emphasizing, “truth will prevail.” He described the situation as a “well-planned conspiracy” aimed at undermining his political career, alleging involvement from leaders of the CPI(M), Congress, and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). He contended that the intent behind the false case was to weaken the BJP’s position, which ultimately failed.

The Kerala Crime Branch filed a charge sheet against Surendran in January last year, accusing him of intimidating his rival candidate to withdraw from the 2021 assembly elections for the Manjeshwaram constituency.

He faced charges under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which are non-bailable offenses.

The case originated from a petition by V.V. Ramesan, the CPI(M) candidate who contested against Surendran.

Additional allegations surfaced from BSP candidate Sundara, who claimed he was threatened and subsequently bribed with ₹2.5 lakh to withdraw from the race.

Sundara alleged that the money and a smartphone were handed to him by Sunil Naik, a Yuva Morcha leader and close aide of Surendran. The BJP has consistently denied these claims.

Sundara, a Yakshagana artist, had previously contested the 2016 elections and filed his nomination again in 2021 but ultimately withdrew.

In the election, Surendran lost to IUML’s A.K.M. Ashraf, who secured 65,758 votes, while Surendran garnered 65,013 votes and CPI(M)’s Ramesan received 40,639 votes.

This recent court decision not only absolves Surendran of the charges but also highlights ongoing tensions within Kerala’s political landscape.

The accusations and subsequent legal battles illustrate the high-stakes nature of electoral politics in the region, as various parties vie for influence and power.