The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet in the Kodakara hawala case, naming 23 individuals as accused. The document was submitted to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Kochi and contradicts the Kerala Police’s earlier claims that the stolen funds were linked to the BJP’s 2021 Kerala Assembly election campaign. The ED’s findings indicate no direct involvement of the BJP in the case, effectively clearing the party of any connection to the stolen money.
The case originated from a heist on April 3, 2021, when Rs 3.5 crore in alleged hawala money was stolen near the Kodakara flyover. While the Kerala Police claimed the money was intended for the BJP’s election campaign, the ED concluded that the funds belonged to Dharmaraj, the prime accused. According to the ED, Dharmaraj had entrusted the cash to his driver, Shamjeer, for a property purchase in Alappuzha. Supporting documents provided by Dharmaraj validated his claims, and the agency further seized Rs 3 lakh in cash and assets worth Rs 8 lakh linked to him.
Despite allegations from former BJP office secretary Thiroor Satheesh, who claimed illicit funds were brought to the party office, the ED’s investigation focused solely on money laundering aspects. The 23 accused named in the chargesheet include Muhammad Ali, Sujeesh, Ranjith, Deepak, and several others. By ruling out any political connection, the ED’s findings present a significant deviation from the Kerala Police’s conclusions, adding a new dimension to the ongoing legal proceedings.
Post Your Comments