Thu Oct 23 11:22:47 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing the provided text, written from an Indian perspective:
Congress MLA and Three Others Charge-Sheeted in Suicide Case Linked to Alleged Job Scam
Kozhikode, October 23, 2025: The Sulthan Bathery police have filed a charge-sheet against Indian National Congress MLA I.C. Balakrishnan and three other party leaders in connection with the deaths of Wayanad District Congress Committee (DCC) treasurer N.M. Vijayan, 78, and his son Jijesh, 38. The father and son reportedly died by suicide after consuming poison on December 27, 2024.
The police investigation revealed that Vijayan left a letter implicating Balakrishnan, former DCC president N.D. Appachan, and Congress leaders K.K. Gopinathan and P.V. Balachandran. The letter alleges that these leaders collected funds from individuals with promises of jobs in Congress-controlled cooperative banks, which were never fulfilled. This led to mounting pressure on Vijayan to repay the aggrieved parties, allegedly driving him to take his own life.
The chargesheet, submitted to the Sulthan Bathery Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on Thursday, includes statements from over 100 witnesses and digital evidence of Vijayan’s telephone conversations and bank transactions. Police investigations found that Vijayan had financial liabilities to the tune of ₹1.5 crore.
The accused had previously secured anticipatory bail.
This development comes as the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau registered a separate case against Mr. Balakrishnan over an alleged corruption incident dating back to 2015. The case is related to his suspected involvement in accepting ₹6 lakh to facilitate a job appointment at Sulthan Bathery Primary Coooperative Agricultural and Rural Development Bank.
Mr. Balakrishnan has vehemently denied all allegations, claiming the documents cited in the case are fabricated and calling for an impartial investigation.
The case has sparked widespread condemnation, with opposition parties and prominent leaders demanding a thorough investigation into the alleged “cash-for-job scheme and unfair recruitment practices” within the cooperative banking sector. The incident has ignited a fresh wave of scrutiny over transparency and ethical conduct within political circles, particularly concerning recruitment practices in cooperative institutions.
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