- An FIR was filed against IUML leader Bava Haji for offering a foreign trip to voters
- Haji allegedly promised a 15-day UAE trip to top UDF booth committee voters in Thavanur
- The case was reported by LDF to the Election Commission, citing Model Code violations
An FIR has been registered against an IUML leader for allegedly offering a foreign trip to members of a booth committee where the UDF candidate secures the highest number of votes in the Thavanur constituency, police said on Sunday.
The case has been registered against IUML state vice-president Bava Haji of Mangalam in Malappuram, they said.
According to police, during a convention held on March 22, Haji, while campaigning for Congress leader V S Joy, allegedly announced a 15-day trip to the UAE for members of the UDF booth committee that delivers the maximum votes.
The matter was first reported to the Election Commission by LDF representatives.
Following an inquiry, the Commission found it to be a violation of the Model Code of Conduct, police said.
Based on the Commission's direction, Tirur police registered a case under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Representation of the People Act, officials said.
Police said Haji would be summoned for questioning as part of the investigation.
Authorities have also recovered video footage of the convention in which the IUML leader allegedly made the offer, they added.
In Thavanur, Joy is contesting against LDF-backed independent K T Jaleel, while the BJP has fielded Ravi Thelath.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
