KOCHI: The crime branch wing of Kerala Police got down to work in the multi-crore half-price scam by registering 10 fresh cases on Tuesday, a day after the state government decided to hand over the investigation to the agency. According to crime branch sources, the 10 cases the special investigation team took over were first reported at police stations in Alappuzha and Kottayam districts.
Most complainants in the case are women who invested money to get scooters at half their price in 2024. “The cases re-registered on Tuesday were first reported at Chennithala, Panavally, Muhamma, Kumarapuram and Kayamkulam in Alappuzha district and at Erattupetta, Pampady and Ponkunnam in Kottayam district.
Apart from Anandhu Krishnan (the prime accused), agents associated with his seed societies have been arraigned as accused. All these cases were registered based on complaints by individuals who handed over money to the societies run by the accused between May and July 2024. DySP-ranked officers in Kottayam and Alappuzha have been directed to carry out the investigation,” a police officer told TNIE.
The crime branch will complete the procedure of taking over probes into individual cases in the coming days. “Complaints are still being filed at various police stations in the state. We have formed a team in each district under the respective crime branch DySP to investigate the cases. As of now, more complaints are from Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Kannur districts,” the officer said.
The crime branch will soon move a plea to the court concerned to take Anandhu Krishnan in custody. The investigation team has also collected the account details from 12 banks.
