T’puram: BJP councillor R Sugathan on Wednesday denied allegations that his signature was forged in the Thiruvananthapuram corporation council attendance register to show that he had attended meetings while he was away from the city and later in jail. He was speaking to reporters while arriving at BJP state headquarters in the capital to meet the party state president and corporation mayor.Sugathan, the councillor from Vazhottukonam ward, said the signatures in the register were his own and challenged those who had raised the allegation to verify the available CCTV footage and conduct any forensic examination required. He also said he was ready to cooperate with any probe.The controversy erupted after LDF parliamentary party leader S P Deepak alleged that Sugathan’s signatures had been entered in the council register for meetings he did not attend. The LDF had alleged that the entries were intended to prevent Sugathan from facing disqualification for prolonged absence from council proceedings.According to the complaint, signatures purportedly belonging to Sugathan were found against his name for council meetings held on Feb 26, March 11 and April 27. Deepak sought a police probe, claiming that the signatures differed from those in other official documents. The complaint was based on copies of the attendance register obtained under the Right to Information Act.Museum Police have initiated steps to register a case and conduct a detailed investigation. The attendance register has been taken into custody for forensic examination, while statements of Sugathan and mayor V V Rajesh are expected to be recorded. The police are also examining CCTV footage from the corporation premises. However, officials have said that there are no functioning cameras inside the council hall, which could make it difficult to establish whether Sugathan was physically present during the meetings.Sugathan, however, maintained that the allegations were part of a political campaign against him.The controversy comes shortly after the high court quashed the Kaapa order against Sugathan, who had been lodged at Viyyur Central Prison since June.
