KOZHIKODE: Karat Faisal, who had started his political career with the Indian Union Muslim League(IUML), is no stranger to controversy. Currently, a Koduvally municipal councillor, Faisal hailing from a middle class family entered active politics and gold business through his maternal uncle PTA Rahim, the LDF-backed independent MLA from Kunnamangalam.
Till 2002, Faisal had been with the Muslim League. “Faisal runs Iris Gold in Koduvally. He is also the managing director of KIMS Hospital, Koduvally, and P T A Rahim, MLA, is its chairman. Incidentally, when Rahim walked out of Muslim League, Faisal followed him. Since then, the duo has been supported by the LDF. Several crore is spent in their respective wards during election to fetch votes,” said M C Mayin Haji, state secretary, IUML.
Faisal twice went on to become ward member in Koduvally grama panchayat and presently he represents ward 27 of Koduvally municipality. In 2013, he was made one of the main accused in the Karipur gold smuggling case and slapped with a Rs 38 lakh-fine by Customs authorities. While he was a member of the Koduvally grama panchayat, Faisal had been taken into custody by DRI officials on March 27, 2014. Despite being booked in a gold smuggling case, he managed to emerge victorious in the municipal election. “Faisal was made sixth accused in the gold smuggling case.
But he again contested the municipal election in 2015 with LDF support and won. He had contested from ward 27, where the CPM calls the shots. The numerous financial transactions carried out by Faisal and Rahim are controlled and protected by the LDF. The Muslim League had in 2019 even lodged a complaint demanding a probe into their dealings and innumerable foreign trips,” said A P Majeed, vice-chairman, Koduvally municipality.
He had also hit the headlines in 2017 when Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, CPM state secretary, during his Jana Jagratha Yatra chose to travel in the BMW mini cooper car owned by Karat Faisal when the yatra reached Koduvally. Faisal’s involvement in Karipur gold smuggling, the case registered by the Motor Vehicles Department over fake registration of the luxury car and his relationship with Kodiyeri had kicked up a major row.
“Later in January 2018, an affidavit had been submitted by Karat Faisal stating that he hasn’t used the car bearing registration number PY01 CK 3000 continuously for one year in Kerala. The department is checking the veracity of his statement. However, there has been no follow-up action,” said an official of Koduvally RTO. With Faisal being taken into custody by the Customs Commissionerate (Preventive) Kochi on Thursday in connection with the Thiruvananthapuram gold smuggling case, more skeletons are expected to tumble out.