The Enforcement Directorate officials, along with Karnataka police, raided the house of Bineesh Kodiyeri, son of CPI(M) Kerala state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, 4 November.
Bineesh was arrested on 29 October by the ED in the Bengaluru drugs peddling case for his links to the accused, Mohammed Anoop.
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel provided security to the ED officials as they conducted the raid on Wednesday. According to reports, ED officials reached the city on Tuesday night to conduct the raid.
The residence, named ‘Kodiyeri’, is owned by Bineesh in Maruthumkuzhi of Thiruvananthapuram. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and family, too, lives there. However, no family members were present in the house when the officials conducted the raid.
The ED officials are also simultaneously conducting a raid at a car accessory showroom called Car Palace in Kesavadasapuram of Thiruvananthapuram as well as at the house of Anas Valiyaparambath, in Darmadom of Kannur district. Anas is a partner of Bineesh at his financial institution in Bengaluru.
According to ED, Bineesh made some transaction under the cover of this financial institution. Car Palace is owned by Abdul Lateef, whom ED suspects to be a benami of Bineesh. Raids were also happening in other places in Thiruvananthapuram, which are allegedly linked to Binesh Kodiyeri.
Bineesh was arrested in connection with an alleged money transaction he made with Mohammed Anoop, who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for peddling drugs under the guise of running a hotel in Bengaluru.
ED had claimed that Bineesh had transferred a huge amount of money to Mohammed’s account. Mohammed Anoop and few others were arrested in connection with the supply of drugs during parties in Bengaluru.
However, Bineesh said that he and Anoop were friends for many years and that he was just helping him with some money to start a hotel. A Bengaluru court had granted ED Bineesh’s custody till 2 November. His custody was further extended for five more days on Monday.
Meanwhile, SR Ramachandran Pillai, a CPI(M) Polit Bureau member, said that Kodiyeri Balakrishnan need not resign from his post due to these issues. Earlier, there were reports that the party secretary may resign.
(This story was first published in The News Minute and has been republished with permission)
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