The government decided to reopen the case after a former secretary of the BJP's Thrissur office claimed that cash-filled bags, marked as election materials, arrived at the office late on 2 April 2021.
Published Nov 02, 2024 | 9:12 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 02, 2024 | 11:38 AM
K Surendran. (X)
The BJP in Kerala is once again embroiled in controversy ahead of the 13 November bypolls with the state government deciding to further investigate the 2021 Kodakara hawala case.
The government decision came after Tirur Satheesh, former office secretary of BJP’s Thrissur district office, claimed that cash-filled bags marked as election materials arrived at the office late on 2 April 2021, even as the state was gearing up for the Assembly elections.
BJP leaders felt the government’s move to re-probe the case was a political strategy to undermine their election efforts. The party raised suspicions about the timing, as it noted that the reopening of the case could damage its image at a critical moment.
Adding to BJP’s woes, the Kerala High Court had recently ordered a stay on the Kasaragod Sessions Court’s order discharging BJP state president K Surendran from an election bribery case related to the 2021 Manjeswaram Assembly elections.
This dual setback—unfolding on the eve of by-elections—has created a challenging scenario for the party – a potential political fallout.
By-elections to the Palakkad and Chelakkara Assembly segments and the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency have been scheduled for 13 November.
The significant development in the Kodakara case came after the state government decided to reopen it against the backdrop of Satheesh’s claims.
It was learnt that a discussion Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan discussed the reopening of the case with state police chief Sheikh Darvesh Saheb on Friday, 1 November, at the Chief Minister’s Office.
The CPI(M) state secretariat, too, has discussed the new development. Party state Secretary MV Govindan told media persons that a comprehensive inquiry was needed.
However, as the case was still under the consideration of the Irinjalakuda First Class Judicial Magistrate Court, the SIT led by Thrissur Range DIG, which had already submitted the charge sheet to the court, will have to sought the judiciary’s permission for further investigation.
The meeting between the chief minister and the police chief has discussed this aspect and decided to expediate the efforts.
The Kodakara hawala case emerged as a high-profile political controversy in Kerala in 2021. It involved an alleged illegal transfer of cash intended for election purposes.
On 3 April 2021, just days before Kerala’s Assembly elections, a group reported a robbery on the Kodakara highway in Thrissur district. The complainants initially claimed that around ₹25 lakh was stolen from their vehicle.
However, as investigations progressed, it was revealed that the actual amount was much larger—over ₹3.5 crore in unaccounted cash.
The discovery raised suspicions about its possible use in election-related activities and brought it into the spotlight as a hawala (informal money transfer) operation.
Reports soon surfaced suggesting that the cash belonged to BJP members and was intended to fund their election campaigns in Kerala.
Allegations were made that the money was part of an underground hawala network used to bypass financial regulations, often employed to transfer large sums of unaccounted money.
The Kerala police arrested multiple individuals allegedly involved in the hawala operation and the robbery itself.
This led to a broader probe into whether the funds were indeed linked to BJP’s election financing, creating a political storm in the state.
The BJP since then has denied any connection to the cash, claiming it was an attempt to malign the party.
However, the party went into defensive mode as Satheesh claimed that the stolen money was part of the party’s election fund and it was brought in a car and he himself helped in lifting the moneybags from the ground floor to the first floor of the building where the party office has been located.
Meanwhile, a police report handed over to the Enforcement Directorate, too, has also come into light.
The police reported that as per the confession of one of the accused, ₹41.40 crore was brought from Karnataka to Kerala during the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections. The report also mentioned the name of BJP leader and Karnataka MP Lahar Singh Siroya.
Incidentally, the 2021 Assembly election was the first after the Supreme Court had allowed women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple. The BJP had made the entry of women, allegedly with police escort, a major election issue.
Meanwhile, the BJP state leadership dismissed Satheesh’s claims as baseless, asserting that the party had no involvement in the hawala case and accused political opponents of spreading misinformation.
A leader stated that the CPI(M) had purchased Satheesh to make the allegations with elections round the corner.
The party also stated that Satheesh has been ousted from the party two years ago on charges of financial misappropriation and the recent statements from him were nothing but election gimmick.
However, the Congress alleged that there was a deal between the CPI(M) and BJP and hence the hawala case was back-pedalled all these years. It also termed the reopening of the case an eyewash during election time.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
