Congress MLA IC Balakrishnan, three others chargesheeted in DCC treasurer and son's death

Wayanad (Kerala) | A charge sheet was filed by the police against Congress MLA I C Balakrishnan and three other party leaders in connection with the alleged suicide of District Congress Committee (DCC) treasurer N M Vijayan and his son at Sultan Bathery here, officials said on Thursday.

Vijayan (78) and his son Jijesh (38) had allegedly died by consuming poison in December 2024.

In a letter to his elder son, sent before the incident, Vijayan had accused Balakrishnan and others of collecting money from several people by promising them jobs in cooperative banks controlled by the Congress in the district.

According to police, the leaders allegedly failed to provide the promised jobs to those who paid the money. When the individuals later demanded their money back from Vijayan, it reportedly led to his suicide.

Police officials in Sultan Bathery said a charge sheet has been filed against Balakrishnan, former DCC president N D Appachan, and Congress leaders K K Gopinathan and P V Balachandran.

The charge sheet was submitted before the Sultan Bathery Judicial First Class Magistrate recently, they said.

The accused have been charged with abetment of suicide in connection with the deaths of Vijayan and his son.

All four accused had earlier obtained anticipatory bail in the case.

Meanwhile, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) last week registered a separate case against Balakrishnan for allegedly accepting Rs six lakh in 2015 for arranging a job at the Sultan Bathery Primary Co-operative Agricultural and Rural Development Bank.