Thiruvananthapuram: Mayor V V Rajesh on Friday said the corporation would pursue legal action against LDF parliamentary party leader S P Deepak for alleging forgery involving the signature of councillor R Sugathan. Also, the corporation confirmed that CCTV footage from the council hall was unavailable.Addressing a news conference, Rajesh said there was sufficient evidence to establish that Sugathan had attended the three corporation council meetings in question, dismissing Deepak’s allegation that the councillor’s signature was forged as he was absent from the corporation for three days.Rajesh said photographs by the corporation’s official photographer during the meetings could establish Sugathan’s presence. Photographs bearing the date and time stamps have been handed over to the police, he added.The mayor cited a photograph Deepak shared on Facebook, showing Sugathan seated alongside the latter during the April 27 council meeting. He criticised Deepak for raising allegations without checking his own social media posts, which, according to Rajesh, contradicted the claim that Sugathan was absent. The controversy has affected the morale of the city corporation’s sincere officials, he added.In response to Deepak’s request for the council meeting recordings, the corporation’s statement said CCTV footage from the council hall was unavailable.Deepak accused the mayor of attempting to evade responsibility by spreading misleading information. He said LDF would move legally over the issue.Museum police had registered a case against Rajesh, Sugathan and corporation secretary J Muhammed Shafi based on Deepak’s complaint alleging forgery of Sugathan’s signature in official records during his purported absence.Rajesh maintained that the photographs and other records would establish the councillor’s attendance and counter the forgery allegations. He said the corporation would continue its legal fight to disprove the allegations.
