Chief Electoral Officer seeks info about progress of case against G Sudhakaran

Alappuzha (Kerala) | The Chief Electoral Officer in Kerala on Saturday directed the District Electoral Officer here to keep him informed about the progress in the case against CPI(M) veteran G Sudhakaran in connection with his recent remarks about ballot breach during the 1989 Alappuzha Lok Sabha election.

According to a government statement, the matter has been communicated to the Election Commission of India.

It also said that according to the office of the Chief Electoral Commissioner, the Chief Electoral Officer has directed the Alappuzha District Electoral Officer to inform him about the progress of the case.

A case under various provisions of the Representation of People (RP) Act and the IPC was on Friday registered against Sudhakaran in connection with his recent remarks claiming that postal ballots were opened during the 1989 Alappuzha Lok Sabha polls.

Sudhakaran, in a purported video aired on TV channels a day ago, can be heard making the controversial remarks during a gathering of former NGO Union leaders at Alappuzha on Wednesday.

It prompted the Election Commission to launch a probe into the matter and the CPI(M) veteran's statement was recorded on Thursday by EC officials.

Following that, Sudhakaran, at another event in Alappuzha on Thursday, claimed that what he had said earlier was not completely true and he had added something extra to it from his "imagination".

The police on Friday registered an FIR against him under sections 128 (maintenance of secrecy of voting), 135 (removal of ballot papers from polling station), 135A (booth capturing) and 136 (other offences and penalties) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and sections 465 (punishment for forgery), 468 (forgery for cheating) and 471(using forged document as genuine) of the IPC.

The punishment for the offences under the Representation of the People Act range from a few months to a maximum of two years, while those under the IPC carry jail terms from two years to seven years.

It was not clear from the controversial video whether the tampering of postal ballots--after they were unsealed--was carried out by him or his associates during the 1989 Lok Sabha election for the Alappuzha seat.

The CPI(M) has contended that the party never carried out any such activities and said that persons of Sudhakaran stature should be careful while making such statements.