A Saratov resident accused of libel after complaining to Putin about deputy Kurikhin was searched

The police searched the house of Saratov resident and manager of Partners LLC Vera Shulkova, who became accused in the case of slander of local deputy Sergei Kurikhin, reports the Public Opinion publication.

Shulkova’s mother told the publication that her daughter, along with her lawyer, went to police department No. 6 to participate in a confrontation. However, Shulkova was not informed with whom and for what reason investigative actions would be carried out.

In Shulkova's absence, a police officer arrived at her home with a search warrant. According to the girl's mother, they seized mobile phones, her company's client database and computer.

After returning home, Vera Shulkova again went to the police department to find out what happened in her apartment. The mother of the defendant in the libel case also said that Shulkova was given a non-disclosure agreement and was allegedly threatened with administrative arrest if she talked about the progress of the investigation.

Vera Shulkova learned that a criminal case had been opened against her in early February. However, the case was opened on December 31, 2015. According to media reports, last year the businesswoman wrote a letter to President Vladimir Putin’s website in which she described the corrupt connections of Saratov deputy Sergei Kurikhin. Documents were also attached to the letter. The girl’s appeal was not published on the site, but later she learned that five letters on her behalf were registered on the portal. Shulkova insists that she wrote only one of them.

Earlier, deputy Kurikhin filed a lawsuit for the protection of honor and dignity against the journalist of “Public Opinion” Antoine Cass. This case is related to the journalist’s speech at a public hearing regarding the development of part of the territory of the Kumysnaya Polena forest park. Cass spoke out against the development.

In addition, in January 2015, the investigation into a criminal case of slander against the same deputy was resumed against another journalist from Public Opinion, Sergei Vilkov . The latter investigated the activities of the deputy.