Thiruvananthapuram: Shashi Tharoor, who is contesting against Rajeev Chandrasekhar in the Lok Sabha polls, has been booked by Cyber Police for allegedly carrying out a false campaign against the Union minister.
The case against the senior Congress leader was registered here on April 15, but details were revealed on Sunday, reported PTI.
According to police, the case was registered based on a complaint lodged by BJP leader J R Padmakumar, who accused Tharoor of carrying out a false campaign against Chandrasekhar during a television programme.
The complainant claimed that Tharoor made defamatory comments against Chandrasekhar, saying that the BJP leader was influencing voters of coastal regions.
Tharoor is facing a probe under Sections 171-G and 500 of Indian Penal Code and Section 65 of IT Act, a police official said.
IPC 177-G refers to resorting to false statements in connection with an election, while IPC 500 is about defamation.
Chandrasekhar earlier sent Tharoor a defamation notice.
Tharoor hasn’t yet commented on the matter.
The stakes are high in Thiruvananthapuram, which will see one of the most high-profile contests in India.
All 20 Parliamentary constituencies in Kerala will vote in the second phase, on April 26.
