THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Museum police on Monday arrested nine people, including United Electricals Industries managing director S R Vinayakumar, who is also the brother-in-law of former CPM state secretary the late Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, for allegedly engaging in gambling at a cottage in Trivandrum Club at Vazhuthacaud.
The raid was conducted on the basis of a tip-off. When the police reached the place by 7 pm, there were nine people, including the organisers of gambling, in the room. The police raided the quarters and recovered about `5.60 lakh from the room.
The arrested men had assembled from various places in the state to take part in gambling, the police said.
The cottage was allotted to Vinayakumar, brother of Kodiyeri’s wife Vinodini, on the account of him being the managing director of a public sector firm.
His name is given first in the FIR. The incident also sparked political controversy with the opposition leaders and social media users questioning the timing of the raid and the arrest. Vinodini in an interview had recently revealed that the body of Kodiyeri was not taken to Thiruvananthapuram for the public to pay homage against the wish of her husband. She had said that the family members had conveyed to the party about Kodiyeri’s wish, but it was not granted.