The Thiruvananthapuram Chief Judicial Magistrate Court granted conditional bail to the four Youth Congress acitivists who were arrested on the charge of forging voter ID cards to rig the recent organisational polls on Thursday.
Rejecting a police application seeking custody of the accused, the court came down heavily on the investigation team for failing to adhere to criminal procedure norms while arresting the accused.
The accused persons, Feni Ninan, 25; Binil Binu, 21; Abhinand Vikram, 29; and Vikas Krishnan, 42, of Pathanamthitta, had been granted interim bail on Wednesday.
When the custody application submitted by the police was taken up for hearing on Thursday, the court rejected the prosecution’s stance that it was vital for the police to gain custody of the accused for a detailed investigation and to identify co-conspirators in the case.
Their claim that the actions of the gang posed a threat to national security also failed to help attain custody of the accused.
The court ordered the accused to appear before the investigation officer on all days until November 27, following which they will be required to report on all Tuesdays and Saturdays for a month, and then on all Saturdays next month. They have also been barred from leaving the country.
In the remand report, the police stated that the gang had counterfeited voter ID cards issued by the Election Commission of India to tilt the electoral field in favour of the ‘A’ group of Youth Congress. It added that the first two accused, Binil Babu and Feni Ninan, had been apprehended while travelling in a car bearing registration number KL 26 L 3030 near Mettukada.
Youth Congress State president Rahul Mamkoottathil, who confirmed the car belonged to him, alleged the activists had been arrested without being served notice and that several YC activists have used his vehicle for various purposes.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed the alleged counterfeiting of ECI voter identity cards as treason.
“It has grave implications for the sanctity of future elections and democracy. If the Youth Congress has done it, the Sangh Parivar will improve on the deceit. Youth Congress factionalism precipitated the crime. Leaders from top to bottom seemed involved. None will escape the law. The police investigation was on the right track and Central agencies were involved, given the crime’s bearing on national security”, he said.
Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan termed the case a political witch hunt. He said the police had roughed up a mediaperson who video graphed the break down of the luxury bus ferrying the Cabinet in Wayanad. “Its now Youth Congress. Soon, the government will target independent mediapersons,” he warned
CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan said the probe would implicate Congress and Youth Congress leaders at different levels in the leadership, including the top tier.
