Legal trouble for NDA in Palakkad: Police file case in 'Cash-for-Votes' row

PALAKKAD: The Palakkad South police have registered an FIR following allegations of money being distributed to influence voters. The case has been filed against an identifiable NDA representative for attempting to sway the election through financial inducements.

The District Collector initiated the formal process by submitting a report to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), calling for a comprehensive probe into complaints that the BJP distributed cash to local voters. In response, the CEO confirmed that the investigation will determine whether these actions violated the Representation of the People Act or the Model Code of Conduct.

As part of the initial inquiry, the Election Flying Squad submitted its findings to the Collector after recording a statement from Devu, a 65-year-old resident of Kannadi. While she appeared in released footage as a purported recipient of the funds, she denied receiving any money during her testimony. Despite this denial, the Collector’s report emphasizes that a more detailed investigation is necessary, given the gravity of the allegations. Copies of this report have since been forwarded to both election observers and the police.

The Congress party has furthered the allegations by releasing photographs involving Simi Rajeev, a Mumbai-based Malayali. These images show Simi at the BJP District Committee office in Palakkad standing alongside BJP leader Shobha Surendran and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Congress leaders claim these images provide context to their allegations, asserting that Simi was the individual responsible for facilitating the distribution of the money.