A team of Enforcement Directorate officers have arrived at Thiruvananthapuram to raid CPI (M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s house in connection with Bineesh Kodiyeri’s arrest. Taking into consideration the latest information, the ED believes that Bineesh Kodiyeri has invested black money in various businesses in the city. The ED will also be raiding the Old Coffee House, Car Palace, and other ED businesses that have been under their radar in this case. The Income Tax Department will join the Directorate in the raids on the various locations. A few of Bineesh’s friends are also under observation.
Yesterday, the Bengaluru Special Court had handed over Bineesh’s custody to ED for five more days. During the trial, the officers revealed that Bineesh might have financial transactions with Anoop Muhammed over Rs 5 crore. The latter is a prime accused in the drug peddling case, and he admitted to being Bineesh’s benamidar. The agency has also reported that Bineesh has not been cooperative while Bineesh maintains that he had only helped Anoop as a friend by giving him financial support to start a hotel in Bengaluru.
The ED said that they couldn’t question Bineesh for two days, due to the latter reporting not feeling well. Bineesh complained of back pain and the agency took him to a hospital. Bineesh’s lawyers had argued during the trial that because of Bineesh’s bad health he is not being handed over to ED again. They also added that the ED had not allowed them to visit their client. This was about how the ED denied them visitation when Binoy Kodiyeri and the lawyers arrived to see Bineesh.
While granting the remand extension, the court had also given Bineesh’s lawyer visitation rights. However, when they tried to see him today the ED had asked them to come back with a Covid-19 certificate.
