LS polls: Tensions run high in Kerala over Jayarajan family's alleged biz links with Chandrasekhar
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Tensions escalated in the Lok Sabha election campaign in Kerala over allegations regarding a business partnership between ruling LDF convener E P Jayarajan's family and BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar's company.
Amidst this, an FIR was filed against a local Congress leader on the basis of a complaint by Jayarajan's wife alleging morphing of her photographs, while Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan added fuel to the fire with fresh accusations against the LDF convener.
Jayarajan on Wednesday levelled serious allegations of morphing photographs and playing "dirty politics" against Satheesan, who refuted the same.
Satheesan also hit back by saying that the Left leader has admitted to his family's business relationship with Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar by conceding that his wife has shares in a resort linked to a company of the BJP leader.
"I had claimed that his (Jayarajan's) family has business links with Chandrasekhar. He had initially denied it. Now, he has admitted that his wife has shares in a resort linked to a company of Chandrasekhar. So, I have proved my credibility," the opposition leader contended.
He was referring to Jayarajan's press conference earlier in the day when the CPI(M) leader said that his wife had shares in a resort which had links to a company of Chandrasekhar's wife.
Jayarajan also said that his wife was looking to sell off her shares in that resort.
Subsequent to this development, Satheesan said the CPI(M) has to say whether there is anything wrong with a senior member of its party having business links with a BJP leader, he said.
On the other hand, Chandrasekhar questioned how a business relationship between his wife and that of Jayarajan can be construed as a CPI(M)-BJP agreement.
Satheesan also said that he has photographs, released by Chandrasekhar's company, which show Jayarajan's family members with the management of the BJP leader's firm.
At the same time, he denied knowledge about any fake or morphed photographs that Jayarajan has alleged the opposition created and spread on social media.
Earlier in the day, the LDF convener levelled a host of allegations against Satheesan ranging from illegal collection of money from abroad to creating morphed photographs of his wife and accused the Congress leader of playing "dirty politics."
Jayarajan alleged that Satheesan was behind the circulation of morphed photographs of his wife -- Indira -- meeting Chandrasekhar, the BJP candidate contesting from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency in the LS polls to be held in the state on April 26.
Following this, it was revealed that Jayarajan's wife has lodged a complaint with the police against a Trivandrum DCC member for allegedly posting the morphed photograph on a social media platform.
The Baliapattam police station in Kannur district of the state on Tuesday has registered an FIR under Sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation, with intent to cause riot), 465 (forgery), 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the IPC against the DCC member on the complaint.
Satheesan denied any knowledge of the said photograph.
The opposition leader has been alleging for some time that Jayarajan has business connections with Chandrasekhar.
They both had earlier denied the allegation.
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Nashik court sends ‘godman’ Kharat to 3-day police custody in 7th sexual exploitation case
Nashik (PTI): A court in Maharashtra's Nashik has remanded self-styled astrologer-cum-godman Ashok Kharat to police custody till April 29 in the seventh case of sexual exploitation registered against him.
Kharat, a former Merchant Navy officer arrested on March 18, is accused of sexually exploiting several women and indulging in large-scale financial fraud by claiming to have divine powers and knowledge of black magic.
In the seventh case, Kharat sexually exploited a married woman who had approached him in search of solutions to her family problems.
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The accused allegedly gave the woman something to drink, sexually assaulted her while her husband sat outside his office and threatened to kill her if she told anyone about it.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing into 12 cases of sexual exploitation and financial fraud registered against Kharat in Nashik and Ahilyanagar districts, on Sunday filed a request application in the court demanding his custody in the seventh case.
Kharat was produced in court for a virtual hearing in the seventh case on Monday.
The prosecution demanded six-day police custody for Kharat, citing the discovery of a locker in Kharat's house during the investigation, from which the police recovered two blank cheques and other documents, all of which have to be probed.
The court agreed to the prosecution's demand and remanded Kharat to three-day police custody till April 29 in the case.
Kharat has been at the centre of a political firestorm, as he was well-connected, and photographs of him with political leaders and other important members of society have been surfacing in mainstream and social media since his arrest.
