Bineesh Kodiyeri, the son of CPI(M)’s Kerala secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, exchanged several calls with a suspected drug peddler who was arrested in Bengaluru, according to phone records obtained by investigative agencies probing a narcotics case.
The call records show that Bineesh and Mohammed Anoop were in touch 78 times between May 31 and August 19. Anoop was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau with 250 MDMA pills in his possession on August 21 from his apartment in Bengaluru. Five of their exchanges happened on August 19, two days before Anoop’s arrest.
According to officials, Anoop told the investigators that Kodiyeri had loaned him Rs 50 lakh to start a restaurant in Bengaluru.
“I used to get MDMA pills and supply it to youngsters in colleges and at rave parties in order to fulfil my daily needs. After making some money, I took a property on lease and opened a restaurant with financial help of Bineesh Kodiyeri, son of Kodiyeri Balakrishnan,” reads Anoop’s statement of August 23, a copy of which has been obtained by News18.com.
The NCB, which is probing the drugs bust case, had enlisted the Enforcement Directorate to investigate the allegation that Bineesh had financial transactions with Anoop. The federal agencies are also looking at a suspected link between the narcotics drug trail and a major gold smuggling racket that was busted in Kerala in July.
The NCB had also reportedly told the Customs that Anoop was ‘close’ to KT Rameez, an accused in the UAE consulate linked gold smuggling case. The investigating agencies are trying to ferret out the interrelatedness if any between the two international rackets.
Last month, the ED in Kerala had summoned Bineesh for an inquiry in connection with the gold smuggling and drugs seizure cases and questioned him for over 10 hours. Its Karnataka counterpart has now called him for questioning in the state capital. He will be appear at the Bengaluru ED office on Tuesday morning.
“Anoop, who is currently lodged in Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara central prison was questioned by the ED sleuths. In his statement before the ED, he has stated that Bineesh Kodiyeri had loaned him Rs 50 lakh to start the restaurant in Bengaluru,” a senior officials said.
“In the Tuesday inquiry, the ED will question Bineesh about his association with Anoop and the money trail, among other things. This case is getting intriguing and if the connect is established, it could be an embarrassment for the political machinery in Kerala,” the official told News18.com.
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