Thiruvananthapuram,  Exactly a year after the Kasaragod First Class Judicial Magistrate Court granted permission to file a case against BJP state President K. Surendran in an alleged election bribery case, the Kerala Police have charge sheeted him under non-bailable charges.

Incidentally the court asked the police to go ahead after a petition was filed by CPI-M leader V.V. Rameshan, an LDF candidate in the Manjeswaram constituency during the 2021 April Assembly elections.

The petitioner demanded the arrest of BJP leaders who allegedly paid money, gave mobile phones and promised other favours to a candidate to withdraw his nomination from Manjeswaram during the elections.

K.Sundara had filed his nomination papers as a BSP candidate. He had said he was given money and mobile phone to withdraw his candidature in favour of Surendran, who contested but came a very close second.

The probe police team, which has submitted its preliminary report, has included charges under the SC/ST Act too which are non-bailable besides other charges that included bribery to sabotaging the elections.

Apart from Surendran, five more local BJP leaders were also indicted by the police.