Kerala Cong MLA, 3 others booked for abetment in party worker's suicide

Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan stated that the Congress party would conduct its own internal investigation alongside the police inquiry

Congress MLA IC Balakrishnan, Wayanad District Congress Committee (DCC) president ND Appachan, and two others have been charged with abetment to suicide in connection with the deaths of DCC treasurer NM Vijayan and his son. Police confirmed the charges on Thursday, according to a report by PTI.

 

A senior officer stated that the case, filed under the abetment to suicide section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), was based on Vijayan’s suicide note. The note named Balakrishnan, Appachan, and two others as responsible for his distress.

 

Appachan denied any wrongdoing, claiming he had no knowledge of Vijayan’s struggles. “I have lived an honest life. I will face the case legally,” he said, expressing support for Vijayan’s grieving family.

 

Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan stated that the Congress would conduct its own internal investigation alongside the police inquiry. “We need to understand what happened and if the allegations are true. But we are not against the legal process,” Satheesan said.

 

Satheesan also mentioned that neither he nor Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K Sudhakaran was aware of Vijayan’s issues. “If we had known, we would have acted immediately,” he added.

 

The ruling CPI(M) has accused Congress of neglecting Vijayan’s plight, alleging that a job scam at a Congress-run cooperative bank, involving Balakrishnan, led to the tragic suicides. CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan called for a thorough investigation, saying, “This is what the people of Kerala want.”

 

Vijayan, 78, and his 38-year-old son, Jijesh, attempted suicide on December 27, 2024, and later died at Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital. The incident has sparked political controversy, with both Congress and CPI(M) trading accusations.