Kochi: Former Congress legislator Anil Akkara, who played a key role in exposing the Rs 324-crore Karuvannur Cooperative Bank scam, has claimed that if the ongoing Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe proceeds in the right direction in this case, top CPI-M leaders will be named as accused in the final charge sheet.

Akkara’s remarks come in response to news that the ED has summoned Alathur Lok Sabha MP K. Radhakrishnan for questioning.

He alleged that Radhakrishnan, along with former minister and current CPI-M legislator A.C. Moideen and former Thrissur CPI-M district secretary M.M. Varghese, would be named as accused if the investigation is conducted thoroughly.

“So far, these leaders have been shielded due to a secret deal struck during the 2024 Thrissur Lok Sabha election. However, the ED has already recovered Rs 60 lakh from CPI-M party bank accounts and Rs 40 lakh from Moideen under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This scam occurred during their tenure as Thrissur district CPI-M secretaries,” Akkara said.

The ED’s latest notice to Radhakrishnan comes after a gap of more than six months in the investigation. Radhakrishnan, a former two-time state minister and ex-Speaker, is a prominent CPI-M leader from Thrissur. The notice has put the ruling party on the defensive as it prepares for the 24th Party Congress in Madurai this April.

Radhakrishnan, a member of the CPI-M Central Committee, was served the notice upon his recent arrival in Thrissur. The party is reportedly seeking to delay his appearance, citing the ongoing Parliament session.

This is the first time Radhakrishnan has been summoned since the scam surfaced, sending shockwaves through the party. The ED has already questioned several senior CPI-M leaders, including Moideen, former Lok Sabha member P.K. Biju, former CPI-M legislator M.K. Kannan, and M.M. Varghese.

Several local CPI-M leaders and employees of the Karuvannur Cooperative Bank were arrested and jailed in connection with the scam, although many have since secured bail.

The Thrissur Lok Sabha seat holds particular significance as it was the only constituency in Kerala where the BJP emerged victorious in 2024, with actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi clinching the win.

IANS

Thiruvananthapuram: BJP candidate and actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi won the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat by a remarkable margin of 74,686, according to the Election Commission Tuesday.

With this, the saffron party opened its maiden account in the state for the lower house of Parliament.

Gopi defeated CPI leader V S Sunilkumar in an exciting fight. While Gopi garnered a total of 4,12,338 votes, Sunilkumar had to make do with 3,37,652 votes, according to the EC figures.

Congress’s senior leader and MP K Muraleedharan settled in the third position with 3,28,124 votes, it said.

Gopi had lost from Thrissur in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and then in the 2021 state assembly polls.