Cash for MLAs case: Additional GM of Kochi’s Amrita hospital summoned to Hyderabad for questioning

The mutt of spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi governs the hospital.

According to highly placed sources in Kerala police, the Telangana SIT officials — who have been in Kerala for the past three days — seized a laptop, four mobile phones and some crucial documents from the office of Jagannathan following a search there.

Jagannathan absconding

Jagannathan is reportedly absconding, and the SIT officials visited both the hospital in Kochi and the Mata Amritanandamayi Mutt in Kollam to know his whereabouts.

Known as a philanthropist dedicated to healthcare services, Jagannathan was not present either at his office or his residence at Cheranellore on the outskirts of the city when the SIT arrived with search warrants.

In his absence, the notice asking him to appear in Hyderabad was affixed on the walls of his residence at Cheranellore.

Link to Bharathi

According to police sources, Jagannathan is the connecting link between Vellapally and Ramachandra Bharathi alias Satish Sharma, the Keralite priest from Faridabad who was one of the three alleged BJP emissaries who approached the four TRS MLAs.

Police suspect Jagannathan also managed the funds meant for the poaching operation. However, he has never made his political affiliations public and has always maintained a low profile.

As in the case of Vellapally, the notice to Jagannathan was also under Section 41A of the CrPC.

When contacted, a spokesperson said the hospital cooperated fully with the investigators, and the organisation had nothing to comment on the matter as it concerned an individual.

Kerala police sources said they just assisted the SIT of Telangana, and the officials did not reveal much about the case to them.

The SIT officials have since returned to Hyderabad.