A leader of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) in Kerala, who was a close aide of General Secretary Vellappally Natesan, was found dead in the party office on Wednesday morning.
The death of KK Mahesh, SNDP Unit Secretary of Kanichukulangara in Alappuzha’s Cherthala region, was a suicide, the police have confirmed. The local leader’s body was found in the SNDP Mararikulam Union office at 10 am after a relative came in search of him.
But hours after his death, a suicide note, purportedly written by Mahesh to the Crime Branch on June 8, has emerged, and it has raised serious allegations against Vellappally Natesan.
On June 9, Mahesh, who is a co-accused in several cases related to SNDP, had sent a letter to Crime Branch Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Tomin J Thachankary, alleging that Vellappally had been foisting cases on him.
The handwritten note, which was accessed by TNM, stated that Vellappally had made the deceased Mahesh, who was the state coordinator of the microfinance scheme started by the SNDP, a scapegoat in many of these police cases. This includes the case against the swindling of funds collected as part of the microfinance scheme by SNDP.
Mahesh added that crime branch officials from Alappuzha had interrogated him for four hours on June 7, regarding the microfinance scheme in Alappuzha, he adds in the letter.
“Detective Inspector TR Santosh sir had called me and taken my statements from 10 am to 2 pm on June 8. In his questions and statements, it seemed that he wanted to foist cases on me — cases in Mavelikara and Chengannur over 15 years and from some places I have never been to. It was clear that he and other officers were pressuring me,” Mahesh wrote in his letter, indicating that Vellappally used his clout to bring the police to his side.
The letter added that Vellappally had harboured enmity against Mahesh, but did not elaborate on the reasons.
Apart from the letter to Tomin, the deceased had also sent another printed letter to fellow party workers and office-bearers via WhatsApp, in which he speaks about his 30-year-old stint at SNDP.
“I would like to sacrifice my life for all union workers and leaders who have been foisted with fake cases,” the letter concluded.
SNDP is yet to furnish an official response on Mahesh’s demise.