THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after Kerala withdrew the general consent given to the CBI to carry out investigation in the state, the state on Thursday witnessed attempts to intimidate the officials of another central agency, the Enforcement Directorate, who raided the residence of CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s son Bineesh in Thiruvananthapuram in connection with a drug cartel case. The state police and the child rights commission have slapped notices on the ED officers for alleged illegal detention of Bineesh’s family during the 25-hour raid.
The ED had arrested Bineesh in Bengaluru on October 29 on charges of money laundering related to drug trafficking. His wife Renitta, the couple’s two-year-old daughter and Renitta’s mother were present at the house during the raid that started around 9.30am on Wednesday. A dispute erupted on Wednesday night after the ED claimed to have seized a credit card reportedly belonging to drug peddler Mohammed Anoop and an iPhone from the house.
Renitta refused to sign the document (panchanama) acknowledging the recovery of goods, saying the credit card was planted there. As the inspection continued and the argument went on, a State Child Rights Commission team led by chairman K V Manoj Kumar rushed to the house and registered a case against the central agency for illegal detention of Bineesh’s child. The CRPF personnel denied them entry. When the ED officials were about to leave the house, the state police blocked their vehicle.
Raid, rage & rights