Bribe for jobs: Wayanad DDC treasurer's suicide letter names senior Congress leaders

Kalpetta: The 'bribe for jobs' controversy that raked up after the suicide of Wayanad DCC treasurer NM Vijayan and his son Jijesh took a new turn on Monday after two suicide notes were found. One was addressed to the Congress leadership about his debt and the other was to his other son Vijesh on how to survive the situation and settle things after his death.

Police said their death was a murder-suicide. Vijayan first poisoned his son before killing himself, cops added. 

The letter to party leadership names Sulthan Bathery MLA IC Balakrishnan, a former DCC president, current DCC president ND Appachan, Congress leaders KK Gopinathan and former DCC president the late PV Balachandran, as persons instrumental for the large debt he ran up. The letter also indicates these leaders having received huge sums of money from him that several job aspirants paid as bribes for employment at various cooperative banks ruled by the Congress in Wayanad district.

After their deaths, there were allegations that Sulthan Bathery MLA was responsible for pushing the Congress leader into the debt trap. It was alleged that he received large amounts of funds from various persons through Vijayan in the party's name.

The six-page note addressed to the party state president, K Sudhakaran, said that though money was collected from job aspirants, the party failed to keep its promise and also failed to return the funds. In the letter he alleged that some Congress leaders were instrumental in his younger son losing his job in the Urban Cooperative Bank at Sulthan battery. "He was bedridden after an accident for the past many years. Finally, the burden of repaying the amount fell on me." the note said.

To save Balakrishnan's image at a critical moment, Rs 7 lakh was sourced from various people and given to him. Of this, he only returned Rs 2 lakh. Paying the balance back became Vijayan's responsibility, which ended up being a legal wrangle and inviting more shame. "For Rs 10 lakh received by DCC president ND Appachan, I had to give an assurance by mortgaging my 8 cents of land, " the note said. By the time of his suicide, his total debt ran up to Rs 65 lakh.  The note also claimed that Rs 32 lakh was spent to wrest control of the Urban Bank, Sulthan Bathery, from the BJP.  Rs 10 lakh was offered to an elected 'BJP member' of the governing body to shift sides in favour of the Congress.

The personal note to the son lists the debts, documents to be handed over to various persons and immediate responsibilities as the son.

DYFI protest march to MLA office
The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of CPM, held a protest march to MLA Balakrishnan's office on Monday. As there were only a few policemen to guard the office, the protesters barged into the premises. However, police prevented agitators from entering the building's staircase. Police later arrested and removed the workers from the spot.

Responding to the allegations, Balakrishnan said that it was up to the police to investigate the genuineness of the letter claimed to be circulated in the name of Vijayan. “My name has been dragged into all these deliberately. But I welcome any probe into the allegations, including that of the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau (VACB) or Enforcement Directorate. I have already made a complaint to the District Police Chief demanding a probe into an earlier letter that was also claimed to have been written by Vijayan," he said.