Why has a Thiruvananthapuram court issued notices to former Mayor Arya Rajendran and MLA K.M. Sachin Dev?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Thiruvananthapuram court issues notices to key political figures.
- Allegations of police misconduct and evidence destruction are central to the case.
- The incident has significant implications for local politics.
- Upcoming court appearance scheduled for January 21.
- Public interest in the case continues to grow.
Thiruvananthapuram, December 22 (NationPress) — A court in Thiruvananthapuram has served notices to the former Mayor, Arya Rajendran, and K.M. Sachin Dev, the MLA from Balussery, related to a complaint made by KSRTC driver Yadu.
The notices were issued after the court accepted a petition from Yadu, who challenged the police's decision to omit both leaders from the charge sheet.
The court has instructed Rajendran, Sachin Dev, and Arya, the spouse of Rajendran’s brother, to appear before it in person or via their attorneys on January 21.
This judicial intervention follows Yadu’s request to annul the police charge sheet, which only included Arya Rajendran’s brother, Aravind, as the accused.
Yadu asserts that the police mistakenly excluded Arya Rajendran and Sachin Dev from the charge sheet despite their alleged roles in the incident.
He demands their inclusion as accused and a reopening of the investigation.
In a new filing to the court, Yadu claimed that a vital piece of evidence—the CCTV memory card from the KSRTC bus—was destroyed, allegedly by the then conductor, Subin, under duress from Rajendran and Sachin Dev.
Yadu contended that the footage supposedly depicted Sachin Dev boarding the bus and exhibiting aggressive conduct.
He further accused the police investigation of being partial and inadequate.
According to him, the police initially hesitated to file charges against the former mayor, only acting after the court's orders.
He also criticized the police for their failure to recover the CCTV memory card, which he claims undermined the case.
Previous reports indicated that the FIR was lodged following court intervention.
Yadu has maintained that the investigation favored the accused and has called for a fresh inquiry, including the conductor as an accused.
The court's decision to issue notices is seen as a positive development for the complainant.
The case is set for further scrutiny in January, when the court will address Yadu’s call for reinvestigation and the addition of further accused.
The incident took place in April of last year, after which the young Mayor faced significant backlash.
Social media is abuzz with the notion that this incident contributed to the BJP emerging as the largest party in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation for the first time, winning a record 50 out of 100 seats during the elections.