An MLA from Kasargod district arrested on charges of cheating over a hundred people who invested in his jewelery business has been backed by the Congress and Indian Union Muslim League.
Manjeshwar lawmaker M C Kamaruddin was arrested on Saturday as over 100 cases were registered against him. He is a leader of the IUML, which is a key ally of Congress-led United Democratic Front.
Meanwhile, both Congress and IUML leadership maintained that the arrest of Kamaruddin, a day after local body elections in the state was declared, was a political move to divert attention from the serious charges that the ruling CPM-led Left front was facing in Kerala.
Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, UDF Convenor M M Hassan and IUML leader and Lok Sabha MP P K Kunhalikutty were among those who came out in the open supporting Kamaruddin.
They said the case against Kamaruddin was due to loss in his business and it could not be compared with the drug trafficking or gold smuggling case that the CPM was facing.
The IUML leadership also decided not to take any action against Kamaruddin now.
The cases pertain to Kasargod-based Fashion Gold Jewellery business. Kamaruddin was chairman of the shop and IUML local leader T K Pookoya Thangal is managing director. The firm downed shutters in January citing business loss. Around 700 people were said to have invested in the firm. A total of 117 cases were so far registered against the accused.
Meanwhile, the police have launched a search for the other accused Pookoya Thangal. It was learnt that Kamaruddin told the police that Thangal was mainly running the firm.
Kamaruddin is arraigned as the second accused and Thangal is the first accused. Various Sections of IPC for breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy were invoked against the MLA.