The Kerala High Court on Wednesday stayed further
proceedings in connection with the discharge of BJP state president K Surendran
and five others by a sessions court from the Manjeshwaram election bribery
case.
Justice K Babu admitted the criminal revenue
petition moved against the sessions court's October 5 order by the state
government.
"Admit. Further proceedings stayed. Post on
November 8," the High Court said.
On October 5, Surendran and the others were
discharged by Kasaragod Sessions Judge Sanu S Panicker.
The sessions judge, allowing the discharge plea of
the accused, had 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
grounds to proceed against the other accused also. Hence, they are also
discharged of all the alleged offences," the sessions court had said.
While the BJP state chief had said that truth
prevailed and that the case was fabricated to ruin his political prospects, the
opposition Congress had claimed that Surendran's discharge proves the
CPI(M)-BJP mutual arrangement not to harm each other.
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withdrawn.
Surendran, however, lost the election from
Manjeswaram in the polls. IUML's A K M Ashraf won the seat with 65,758 votes,
while Surendran managed to bag 65,013 votes. CPI(M)'s Ramesan got 40,639 votes.