Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 11 (IANS): The Crime Branch police, probing the election bribery case against Kerala BJP president K.Surendran, on Wednesday submitted its charge sheet before the Kasargod district court naming him as the first accused and slapped him with non-bailable charges.

Surendran is among six accused in the case.

The case was based on a petition filed by CPI(M) leader V.V. Rameshan, an LDF candidate in the Manjeswaram constituency during the 2021 April Assembly elections.

When votes were counted, Surendran came a close second with the Congress-led UDF candidate winning the election by a margin of 745 votes.

The petitioner demanded the arrest of BJP leaders who allegedly paid money, gave mobile phones and promised other favours to a candidate to withdraw his nomination from Manjeswaram during the elections.

It was K.Sundara who filed his nomination papers as a BSP candidate. He later alleged that  he was given money and mobile to withdraw his candidature in favour of Surendran.

The probe police team which has submitted its preliminary report included charges under the SC/ST Act too which are non-bailable besides others which included bribery to sabotage elections too.

Apart from Surendran, five more local BJP leaders have also been indicted by the police.