Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Police on Tuesday registered an FIR on the complaint of Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran, two weeks after a “forged” letter — claimed to be written by her — went viral on the social media, triggering a political furore.
The Mayor has been accused of writing the letter to Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) district (Thiruvananthapuram) secretary Anavoor Nagappan, trying to give jobs to 295 CPI-M activists.
The “forged” letter begins with the salutation, ‘Comrade’, and it goes on to point out that there are 295 temporary vacancies in various posts… which are coming up in the health department attached to the Corporation. The letter had sought a list of prospective candidates.
Ever since the letter went viral, the opposition BJP and the Congress have been staging protests — inside as well as well outside the Corporation, seeking Rajendran’s resignation.
This development has “rocked” the ruling Pinarayi Vijayan-led CPI-M government in Kerala.
Facing heat over the issue, CPI-M top brass went into a huddle, and said the Crime Branch would conduct a preliminary investigation into the matter.
However, reacting to this, the Opposition said “it was a cover up, as no FIR was registered”.
Meanwhile, police went ahead with its probe, and a few officials of the corporation were also asked to give statements.
Following stiff protests, an FIR was eventually filed on Tuesday.
According to sources, charges of forgery have been included in the FIR and charges of conspiracy is also likely to be included. Currently, no one has been named accused in the case.
A source said that as the letter first appeared in a leading vernacular newspaper, the probe is expected to start with a journalist as well as local CPI-M leaders who first had shared the letter in a few party groups.
–IANS