Minor rape survivor consumes poison in Odisha court premises
A 16-year-old minor rape survivor attempted suicide by consuming poison in the court premises in Kendrapara on Friday, police officials said.
The District Sessions Court in Kalpetta, Wayanad, granted anticipatory bail on Saturday to IC Balakrishnan, Congress MLA from Sulthan Bathery; ND Appachan, Wayanad District Congress Committee (DCC) president; and KK Gopinathan, former DCC treasurer.
The trio faces charges of abetment of suicide in the deaths of former Wayanad DCC treasurer NM Vijayan and his son Jijesh.
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Principal Sessions Judge S. Jayakumar John approved the anticipatory bail under specific conditions.
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The accused must not leave the district, influence witnesses, interfere with the investigation, or tamper with evidence.
The case stems from an FIR registered by the police on January 9 against IC Balakrishnan, ND Appachan, KK Gopinathan, and the late PV Balachandran, a former DCC treasurer.
A special investigation team, led by Sulthan Bathery DySP KK Abdul Shareef, is handling the case.
NM Vijayan and his son Jijesh were found in critical condition at their home on December 24. They were rushed to the Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode, where they later succumbed.
Vijayan left letters and suicide notes, which were handed over to the police by his family. These notes reportedly name IC Balakrishnan, ND Appachan, and other Congress leaders, accusing them of corruption and financial malpractice.
Vijayan alleged that the MLA took bribes for jobs at a Congress-controlled cooperative bank in Sulthan Bathery. He also mentioned being in heavy debt due to financial dealings with Congress leaders.
One suicide note addressed to Vijayan’s elder son, Vijesh, instructed him to deliver the note to Congress leaders and, if no action was taken within ten days, to share it with the Wayanad district police chief.
The letters and notes have placed the Congress leadership in Kerala under intense scrutiny, with allegations of corruption and financial misconduct casting a shadow over the party.
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