Wayanad, Jan 10 Sulthan Bathery Congress MLA I.C. Balakrishnan and former legislator and Wayanad district Congress president N.D. Appachan got temporary relief on Friday as a local city court directed the police not to arrest them until January 15.
The directive came in response to an anticipatory bail plea filed by Balakrishnan and Appachan after police registered an FIR against them following the December 27 suicide of Wayanad District Congress Committee treasurer N.M. Vijayan and his son.
N.M. Vijayan and his son were found dead at their home, with a suicide note alleging that funds collected from various candidates for appointments in cooperative banks had been misappropriated. The note named Congress leaders, including Balakrishnan, Appachan, and K.K. Gopinathan, as recipients of these funds and mentioned loans taken to repay the misused amounts.
The suicide note, addressed to Congress leaders, instructed N.M. Vijayan’s son, Vijesh, to deliver it to the Wayanad district police chief after ten days. The surfacing of the letter prompted demands from CPI-M leaders for the immediate arrest of the Congress leaders.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is also the Home Minister, directed swift police action, leading to the registration of an FIR against the Congress leaders. Observers viewed this as a retaliatory move after the Congress had earlier demanded accountability from CPI-M leader and Kannur District Panchayat president P.P. Divya for the suicide of Kannur Additional District Magistrate Naveen Babu in October.
Under pressure, Divya had resigned, was denied anticipatory bail, and spent some time in jail before being released on bail. The CPI-M and CM Vijayan argue that the same "abetment of suicide" charge applies to Balakrishnan and Appachan.
However, Balakrishnan and Appachan gained a reprieve when Vijayan’s wife and surviving son, following a meeting with Congress leaders led by veteran legislator and former Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, expressed their continued trust in the party.
On Friday, while granting verbal orders to delay the Congress leaders' arrests, the court instructed the police to submit the case diary for review.
Attention now shifts to Wayanad Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, who has yet to comment on the developments. Speculation also surrounds factions within the Congress party opposed to Balakrishnan and Appachan.
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