Bineesh Kodiyeri’s house, business partners’ firms raided

The inspection decision was based on the statements the central agency had recorded while questioning Bineesh at its Bengaluru office.
The ED team collecting details of the car in T’Puram on Wednesday | Vincent Pulickal
The ED team collecting details of the car in T’Puram on Wednesday | Vincent Pulickal

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Enforcement Directorate, investigating the money trail in the drug-trafficking case in Bengaluru, tightened the noose around Bineesh Kodiyeri, conducting day-long raids at his house and at the business establishments of his partners in the state capital and in Kannur. The raids took place simultaneously at six places in order to verify his financial transactions and alleged benami deals.

The inspection decision was based on the statements the central agency had recorded while questioning Bineesh at its Bengaluru office. In a report filed in a Bengaluru court, ED had claimed that the modus operandi of Bineesh has been to create many “benamidars” and transfer assets in their names to avoid detection.

In addition to Bineesh’s house ‘Kodiyeri’ at Maruthankuzhy, the officers raided ‘Car Palace’, a car accessories shop owned by Abdul Latheef at Kesavadasapuram; Latheef’s house at Jawahar Nagar; KK Rocks, a quarry office owned by Arun Varghese at Pattom; Torres Remedies, a pharmaceutical firm of Anand Padmanabhan at Statue and Al Jasam Abdul Jaffar’s house at Aruvikkara. They are all suspected to be Bineesh’s benamis. 

The ED officers reached Bineesh’s house at 9am, but the raid began only an hour later. Though nobody was present there initially, Bineesh’s wife and her father came later to unlock the house and lockers. After searching for more than seven hours, the officers took away documents related to his financial deals. They also collected details from the family members. 

A dispute occurred between the ED officials and Bineesh’s wife Reneeta after she refused to sign the mahasar prepared by the officials. In the report, it was mentioned that the officials had seized a credit card of Mohammed Anoop from the house. Reneeta argued that the ED only brought it from Bengaluru. Following this, she called her lawyer Murukkumpuzha Vijayakuar home. The lawyer verified the documents and asked the officers not to insist the family to sign on the documents.

At 11.30pm, the lawyer came out and spoke to mediapersons. He said Bineesh’s family members were literally under house arrest though they are not accused in any case. They are not allowed to speak to the media.

“Doesn’t our country have a law and order system in place? Right now, Bineesh’s wife has not signed the mahasar. If she suspects that the document was fabricated, she won’t sign it. At present, there are no witnesses. The tight security doesn’t allow people from outside. So let the family move court against the ED move,” said Vijayakumar. The inspection continued way past midnight.

At Car Palace, the officers collected the bills and documents kept in the locker. When a luxury car of Latheef reached in front of the shop, the officers checked the vehicle and gathered details from the driver and verified the vehicle documents. The inspection at KK Rocks and Torres Remedies were completed quickly. Anand’s father Padmanabhan said Bineesh had no investment in Torres Remedies.

“ED is wrongly implicating Torres in this. We haven’t sought any favour from the government.” The ED sleuths could not raid Latheef’s house as his mother is Covid positive and Latheef is in quarantine. 

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