Warrier was targeted owing to his dispute with HRDS, says Jaleel

Jaleel denied having any financial dealings with Warrier and said he was just a friend and there was nothing more to it.

KT Jaleel MLA (Photo | EPS)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh raised major allegations against them, former speaker P Sreeramakrishnan and former minister K T Jaleel have refuted the same. Jaleel said he knows Madhava Warrier as a Mumbai-based entrepreneur, and added that Warrier was targeted owing to his dispute with HRDS. Jaleel brushed aside Swapna’s claim that Madhava Warrier was his benami and tried to turn the tables by raising a counter-allegation that Warrier was dragged into the matter as he had lodged a case against NGO HRDS where Swapna is currently employed.

Jaleel denied having any financial dealings with Warrier and said he was just a friend and there was nothing more to it. “Warrier’s company had constructed houses for HRDS in Attappadi. The HRDS did not pay money and instead gave Warrier a cheque that bounced. Warrier filed a case in Mumbai High Court against HRDS in this matter. That’s how he was dragged into the issue,” Jaleel said.

On the other allegation by Swapna that he was behind Calicut University conferring DLitt on the Ruler of Sharjah, Jaleel said such a decision was taken by the university syndicate in 2014 when P K Abdu Rabb was the education minister and M Abdul Salam who is now a BJP leader, was the vice-chancellor.
Meanwhile, P Sreeramakrishnan termed the allegations baseless. Refuting Swapna’s charges, he said there’s no such college in Sharjah as alleged by her.

“There’s no such college, and I have not intervened in any such matter. She’s making empty claims,” he said. He added that he has no personal relations with the Sharjah Sheikh. “Can you believe that I could bribe the Sheikh of Sharjah and Consul General? You think the Sheikh of Sharjah, with three times more wealth than Kerala, was bribed by me? Is he such a person?” asked Sreeramakrishnan. The former speaker said he is contemplating legal action against Swapna. Swapna had alleged that Sreeramakrishnan tried to get land for a college run by his friend in Sharjah.