ED action against CPI(M)-Congress leaders in Kerala rattles both parties

Both the ruling CPM and the Opposition Congress in Kerala faced the heat from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday with the Central agency raiding the premises of a former minister and CPM MLA  A C Moideen and quizzing Kerala Pradesh Congress president K Sudhakaran, in two separate incidents.

While the Congress leader was questioned in connection with his alleged nexus with fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal, who had cheated many, the CPM leader's house was raided as part of a probe into a Rs 100 crore cooperative bank scam in Thrissur.

The ED initiated the action as Sudhakaran was recently arraigned as the second accused in a cheating case involving Monson Mavunkal. He was then arrested and released on bail. Mavunkal allegedly took Rs 25 lakh from some persons in Sudhakaran's presence in 2018 after convincing them that Sudhakaran would facilitate the release of Rs 2.62 lakh crore withheld by the Centre. He claimed that the money due to him was from an antique trade he had done in a foreign country. A complainant in the case later alleged that Mavunkal had given Rs 10 lakh to Sudhakaran in his presence.

Sudhakaran told reporters that since he did not indulge in any illegal act, the ED action was not at all a cause of concern for him.

Meanwhile, the ED raid at CPM leader A C Moideen's residence at Wadakkanchery in Thrissur was part of a series of raids at around 10 premises in connection with the Karuvannur Service Cooperative Bank scam in the Thrissur district. The Rs 100 crore scam at the CPM-controlled cooperative bank came to light in 2021. Since then, there have been allegations of unholy nexus between Moideen, a former local self-government minister and some of the key accused in the case.

Investigation agencies had found that loans were sanctioned by the bank to fictitious accounts opened using fake documents over the last ten years. Land deeds pledged by the customers were re-pledged illegally by the racket involving the banks administrators and real estate lobbies.

State co-operation minister V N Vasavan had earlier told the Assembly that it was a Rs 104 crore scam but the Congress alleged that it was a Rs 300 crore scam.

Anticipating chances of protest, Central paramilitary forces were engaged during the raids that began in the morning. Congress workers who staged a protest in front of Moideen's house were stopped by CPM local workers, which led to some tension.