Thrissur: BJP State Vice-President Adv. K.K. Anish Kumar on Saturday described the Karuvannur Cooperative Bank scam as the biggest cooperative fraud in Kerala and said the recent court verdict validates the allegations contained in the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) chargesheet.
Addressing a press conference in Thrissur, Anish Kumar said the court had accepted several key allegations raised by the ED in the case after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and the accused.
He alleged that the CPM had long dismissed the allegations in the Karuvannur scam as politically motivated and branded them as stories fabricated by the BJP. However, the latest court ruling, he said, has substantiated the issues consistently raised by the BJP.
Noting that the CPM itself has been named as an accused in the case, Anish Kumar demanded that the party apologise to the public for allegedly betraying depositors and putting their savings at risk. He added that many depositors are still waiting to recover the full amount of their money from the bank.
The BJP leader also called for the resignation of MLA A.C. Moideen, the 67th accused in the case, and MP K. Radhakrishnan, the 70th accused. He said both leaders should step down on moral grounds while investigations and legal proceedings continue. If the CPM respects the country’s legal system, it should direct those facing charges to resign from their positions, he added.
According to Anish Kumar, the court’s decision was based on evidence presented before it, including allegations that fake loans worth crores of rupees were sanctioned on the instructions of CPM district secretaries, bank accounts were opened to receive commissions from loan transactions, and land was purchased in the name of a district secretary.
He said the truth behind the Karuvannur Bank scam is now emerging and urged the CPM to acknowledge its mistakes, accept responsibility and answer before the people.
BJP City District President Justin Jacob and District General Secretary Adv. K.R. Hari were also present at the press conference.
