Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 1 (IANS): The Mararikulam police in Alappuzha on Thursday named SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan, his close aide K.L.Ashokan, and son Tushar Vellappally as the first, second and third accused in a case pertaining to the suicide of organisation's office-bearer K.K.Mahesan in 2020.

The three have been charged for abetment of suicide and criminal conspiracy.

On Wednesday, an Alappuzha court asked the local police to register an FIR against the three.

SNDP is the social movement of the Hindu Ezhava community. The deceased was also secretary of the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), the second biggest ally of the BJP-led NDA in the state.

Mahesan was once a very close aide of Natesan but he committed suicide by hanging himself at the SNDP Kaniechikulengara office near Alappuzha in 2020, a day after the crime branch of the police questioned him.

At the time of his suicide, the police was probing the alleged swindling in the micro finance operations, run by Natesan's SNDP Yogam.

Prior to his death, Mahesan, according to sources, had sent a detailed note to his close friends on the way he was being hounded and made a scapegoat.

Mahesan's family was the least happy with the ongoing probe and approached the Judicial First Class Magistrate 2 at Alappuzha seeking a proper enquiry into the death.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Natesan said he and several others were questioned in detail earlier also and nothing came out of it.

"The present attempt is on account of misleading the court and managing to get a case registered. Being a strong believer in God, I have nothing to fear. One reason why this fresh attempt is being done is to keep my son Tushar and me out of the SNDP and that's the real motive. As soon as I heard the news of his suicide, I had sought a CBI probe. All know who Mahesan was," said Natesan.

However, the family of the deceased welcomed the fresh probe and filing of a new case.

"After Mahesan's death, we had demanded a special investigation team which was constituted, but till date, the probe team leader has not even met the complainant (Mahesan's wife) in person or spoken to her over the phone. We welcome the new probe," said a close family member of the deceased.