Opponents politicised Jisha Murder: Saju Paul

Kochi: After his unexpected defeat in Perumbavoor constituency, CPI(M) leader Saju Paul on Friday lashed out at his opponents for “politicizing” the Perumbavoor rape and murder case saying it led to his debacle in the assembly polls.

He even charged that the Congress camp even circulated ringtones of the victim’s mother making allegations against him. “First they pressurized her to make the charges against me. Then they made it a major issue during the campaign. However, the fact is that I had helped the family whenever she approached me for help,” Paul said.

The two-time MLA from Perumbavoor lost to Eldhose Kunnapilly of Congress by a margin of 7088 votes. Earlier, the victim’s mother Rajeshwari, while at treatment at the Perumbavur Taluk Hospital, charged that the local MLA didn’t help her despite approaching several times seeking financial aid for house construction. Saju Paul was quick to deny the accusation.