Since a court had granted anticipatory bail to both of them, they will be released after completing the procedures.
Published Jan 22, 2025 | 2:38 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 22, 2025 | 2:38 PM
NM Vijayan. (Supplied)
The Kerala Police recorded the arrest of two Congress workers on Wednesday, 22 January, over the death by suicide of former Wayanad District Congress Committee (DCC) treasurer NM Vijayan.
DCC President ND Appachan and former DCC treasurer KK Gopinathan were arrested by a Crime Branch team led by Sulthan Bathery Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) KK Abdul Shereef.
The investigation team had been questioning Appachan and Gopinathan since Monday regarding the suicides.
They have been arrested on charges of abetment of suicide under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The arrests were recorded on Wednesday after the interrogation was completed. However, since both have been granted anticipatory bail, they will be released after completing the procedures.
The first accused in the case, MLA IC Balakrishnan was given relaxation as the Kerala Assembly was in session.
The MLA is expected to appear for questioning on 23, 24 and 25 January. It is also reported that the investigation team would also question state Congress President K Sudhakaran regarding the suicide and bribery allegations in connection with the case.
Vijayan reportedly left a letter addressed to Sudhakaran before his death, hinting at his intention to take his own life.
On Tuesday, the police team had raided the DCC office in Wayanad. The raid was done in the presence of Appachan.
The raid was reportedly done to clear some doubts regarding Vijayan’s handwriting and some documents connected to the party’s financial transactions.
Vijayan and his physically challenged son Jijesh died by suicide by consuming poison on 27 December last year. The letter alleged that Balakrishnan was involved in the dismissal of Jijesh from his job at a cooperative bank. The letter also revealed allegations of bribery in securing jobs.
The police had also named the late Wayanad DCC president PV Balachandran in the case.
(With inputs from Dileep V Kumar.)
