Kerala: ED contradicts police findings in Kodakara hawala case, rules out BJP's direct involvement

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet in the Kodakara hawala case, naming 23 accused, contradicting the Kerala Police's earlier findings. The ED's investigation ruled out BJP’s direct involvement, contrary to claims that the looted funds were meant for the party's 2021 Kerala assembly election campaign.

Kochi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has submitted a chargesheet in the Kodakara hawala case, naming 23 individuals as accused. Presented before the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Kochi, the chargesheet contradicts the findings of the Kerala Police, which had earlier concluded that the money stolen in the highway heist was intended for the BJP’s campaign during the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections.

Notably, none of the 23 accused listed in the ED’s chargesheet have direct links to the BJP, effectively clearing the party of any involvement. The case pertains to allegations that hawala money from Karnataka, allegedly meant for the BJP’s election campaign, was looted near the Kodakara flyover on April 3, 2021—just three days before Kerala went to the polls.

Former BJP office secretary Thiroor Satheesh had earlier alleged that illicit funds were delivered to the party office, leading the Kerala Police to expand their investigation. In its chargesheet filed before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Irinjalakuda in July 2021, the police maintained that the stolen money was meant for the BJP’s election campaign, citing statements and evidence collected during the probe.

However, according to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Rs 3.5 crore in question belonged to Dharmaraj, the prime suspect in the case, who had entrusted the cash to his driver, Shamjeer, for a property purchase in Alappuzha. The money was subsequently looted at Kodakara flyover. Dharmaraj provided documentation to validate the source of the funds.

Beyond the stolen amount identified by the police, the ED seized Rs 3 lakh in cash and assets worth Rs 8 lakh linked to Dharmaraj. The agency clarified that its investigation focused solely on money laundering transactions related to the heist.

Muhammad Ali, Sujeesh, Ranjith, Deepak, Areez, Martin, Labeeb, Abhijith, Babu, Abdul Shahid, Muhammad Shukkoor, Abdul Basheer, Abdul Salam, Rahim, Shijil, Abdul Rasheed, Rauf, Muhammad Shafi, Edwin, Deepthi, Sulfikar, Rasheed, and Jinshamol are the accused in the case.