NCB to grill CPM leader’s son for 3 days in drugs case

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Tuesday took former Kerala CPM secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s son Bineesh into their custody until November 20.

On October 29, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had arrested Bineesh Kodiyeri in a drug-related case registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and lodged him in the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison.

NCB officials took a body warrant from the court on Tuesday and took him into for the next three days. He was brought to the NCB office near Yelahanka for the interrogation on Tuesday evening, a senior officer said.

Officials will include charges against Bineesh after a detailed interrogation. Bineesh has been accused of staying regularly in contact with the alleged drug peddler Mohammed Anoop, in whose account officials found Rs 50 lakh unaccounted-for money.

In August, NCB officials had arrested Anoop in Bengaluru along with two others identified as Anika D and R Ravindran on charges of supplying drugs to film actors and celebrities. Officials said Anoop confessed during the interrogation that Bineesh was behind the transaction and he was Bineesh’s benami.

On October 17, ED officials arrested Anoop and he reportedly admitted his involvement in drug peddling and Bineesh had credited several transactions to his account. NCB officials said they were unable to say if Bineesh is a drug peddler or consumer at this stage of the investigation.