Case filed against Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.V. Rajesh over Sugathan’s ‘forged’ signatures

The Museum Police on Thursday (October 8) registered a case against Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.V. Rajesh, the Corporation secretary and Vazhottukonam councillor R. Sugathan of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the alleged forgery of Mr. Sugathan’s signature in the Corporation council attendance register. Left Democratic Front (LDF) Parliamentary party leader S.P. Deepak, who filed the complaint, had alleged that the signature was forged to falsely show Mr. Sugathan’s presence at meetings he actually missed while in hiding following a police case.

The forged signatures were allegedly recorded for the council meetings held on February 26, March 11 and April 27. An examination of the attendance register copies obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act revealed that these forged signatures falsely indicated Mr. Sugathan’s participation in the council meetings on those three days, said Mr. Deepak.

Mr. Deepak said in a statement on Thursday that the Mayor should apologise to the public and resign from the post. His continuing in the role of Mayor after fraudulently recording the attendance of the Vazhottukonam councilor, who had consistently failed to attend council meetings, amounts to an affront to the public.

“This marks the first time in the Corporation’s history that the police have registered a criminal case against a Mayor for such an illegality. The Mayor must explain how the signature of a councillor who did not attend the council meeting came to be recorded in the register kept in the custody of the Mayor and the secretary. A new attendance register was provided to the members following a scuffle in the council hall during which the original register was snatched away. This fact clearly substantiates that the signature in question was forged,” said Mr. Deepak.

Meanwhile, Mr. Rajesh served a defamation notice on Mr. Deepak on Thursday seeking a compensation of ₹5 crore over the allegations regarding the attendance register. The Mayor suffered ‘grave defamation, loss of reputation, and mental anguish’ through the defamatory statements, said the notice.