Thiruvananthapuram: Museum Police have registered a case against Thiruvananthapuram mayor V V Rajesh, BJP councillor R Sugathan and the city corporation secretary over allegations that Sugathan’s signature was forged in the council attendance register to show that he had attended meetings when he was not present.The case was registered on a complaint lodged by S P Deepak, LDF parliamentary party leader in the corporation. The complaint alleged that Sugathan, the councillor representing Vazhottukonam, was shown as having attended council meetings during a period when he was in hiding following the registration of a case against him.Sugathan was arrested by Vattiyoorkavu police on June 9 in connection with a Kaapa case. The LDF alleged that he had not attended several corporation council meetings before his arrest as he was apprehensive of being arrested, but that his signatures were subsequently entered in the attendance register to show his participation.According to the complaint, Sugathan was absent from the council meetings held on Feb 26, March 11 and April 27. His signature was allegedly entered against his name in the attendance register for all three meetings.Following the complaint, Museum Police began an inquiry and visited the corporation headquarters recently. The police examined the attendance register and other records kept in the mayor’s office as part of the verification.Police subsequently registered the case after the preliminary inquiry found substance in the allegations, sources said. The case names the mayor, Sugathan and the corporation secretary as accused.Sugathan was released from jail on Tuesday after the preventive detention proceedings against him were cancelled.Rajesh, in response to the allegations, has sent a legal notice to Deepak alleging that the accusations were baseless and defamatory. In the notice, Rajesh said the allegations had tarnished his reputation and cast aspersions on the dignity of the corporation, besides creating impediments to its developmental projects and affecting the morale of its staff. He said he had decided to initiate civil and criminal proceedings against Deepak and demanded Rs 5 crore as compensation, payable within 15 days of receipt of the notice, failing which he would recover the amount through legal proceedings.
