Alappuzha: SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan was made the first accused in the case of death of Kanichukulangara SNDP Union Secretary's KK Mahesan, former secretary of SNDP Union at Kanichukulangara.

The Mararikulam police station registered the case. Vellappally Natesan's manager KL Asokan and son Thushar Vellappally are the second and third accused, respectively, in the case.

They have been charged for criminal conspiracy and abetment of suicide (Section 306, IPC).

The FIR states that KK Mahesan was made an accused in the microfinance case as part of a conspiracy.

Alappuzha First Class Magistrate Court II on Thursday ordered to make Vellappally Natesan an accused in the case.

Natesan, his son and Asokan were mentioned in Mahesan's suicide note and their statements were recorded early.

The ruling came in a plea filed by Mahesan's family.

On June 24, 2020, Mahesan (54), a confidant of Natesan, was found hanging in the SNDP Union office.

Before committing suicide, Mahesan wrote letters to Vellappally, Crime Branch head and CI, alleging he was made a scapegoat in a Rs 1.5 crore cheating case pertaining to SNDP's micro-finance scheme.

Mahesan had also shared the letters on social media.

He was the chief coordinator of the organisation's controversial micro-finance scheme. Earlier, Mahesan's kin had alleged that letters written by him on social media before his death told of harassments and tortures that he had endured after the Yogam's botched finance scheme. In his letters, Mahesan spoke of how some people were trying to frame him in fake cases and send him to jail.

As coordinator of the Yogam's micro-finance scheme, Mahesan was also questioned several times by investigators in connection with cases related to the misappropriation of funds.

The controversial scheme

The SNDP Yogam had procured Rs 5000 crores from banks and Rs 16 crore from Kerala State Backward Classes Development Corporation (KSBCDC) for its microfinance scheme.

These were to be disbursed to Self-Help Groups (SHGs).

The allegations, dating back to 2015, pointed at discrepancies as the SNDP Yogam could not provide enough details of beneficiaries.

The then Leader of Opposition V S Achuthandan had also charged the Utilisation Certificates, which could offer light on how the funds were used, were not provided.

Vellapally has repeatedly denied the charges.