Published Nov 24, 2023 | 1:44 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 24, 2023 | 1:44 PM
Vote. (iStock)
The four Youth Congress activists arrested for allegedly using fake voter ID cards during recent organisational polls were granted conditional bail by a Kerala court on Thursday, 23 November.
The relief was granted by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Thiruvananthapuram to Abhi Vikram, Feny, Binil Binu and Vikas, police said.
It said the bail conditions would be known after the order copy is received. The four were arrested by police on Wednesday, 22 November.
The allegations of using fake voter ID cards had cropped up two days after the Youth Congress announced the result of its organisational poll.
Youth Congress leader Rahul Mankoottathil was elected president of the state organisation in the polls held a few weeks ago.
A case was registered in the matter on the direction of the Chief Electoral Officer of the state, who had received complaints that fake voter ID cards were used during the Youth Congress organisational polls.
Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay M Kaul had on 17 November forwarded the complaints his office received to the state police chief, urging appropriate action against the culprits involved in the fraud.
An eight-member special investigation team was constituted to probe the case.
An FIR has been registered in the matter under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 468 (forgery for cheating) and 471 (Using as genuine a forged document).
Laptops, mobile phones and fake election photo identification cards were seized from the accused.
Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner Nagaraju Chakilam told PTI: “We have very good evidence that such government ID cards have been forged, which is an offence, which is a cognisable offence. So, we have evidence that these people are involved in not only forging these documents but also using the forged documents, both are separate offences.”
The Youth Congress had denied the allegations.
Rahul Mamkootathil said that the case was politically motivated and the party will face it legally.
“We are fighting two governments, one at the Centre and the state government. Both have their own agencies. This case is politically motivated and we will face it legally,” he told PTI.
The Youth Congress leader said that he had not received any formal notice from the police to appear before them for interrogation and learnt it only through the media.
Talking to PTI in Kozhikode, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said that the party cannot take responsibility for the alleged wrongdoings of some Youth Congress workers and if they have committed the crime, they will have to face the consequences.
BJP state president K Surendran had accused a faction of the Congress in Kerala of creating fake voter ID cards and warned of its serious implications, suggesting potential misuse in general elections and for acquiring SIM cards.
He had blamed a Congress MLA for the creation of an application for creating fake IDs and claimed that top Congress leaders, including KC Venugopal and VD Satheesan, were aware of it.
CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan had said it was a serious matter and called for an urgent and comprehensive investigation.
The Left party had approached the Election Commission, expressing concern that the use of fake voter ID cards could pose a significant threat to democracy.
CPI(M)’s Rajya Sabha MP AA Rahim, in a letter to the Election Commission, alleged that a group had forged voter ID cards using mobile applications and other resources as proof for the Youth Congress Kerala presidential election.
Rahim urged the Election Commission to address the issue promptly to protect the credibility of the electoral system.
(With PTI inputs)
