Hawala case: Kerala BJP chief Surendran summoned by police

Kerala Police on Friday reached state BJP President K Surendran's residence and served notice to him to appear before the team probing the alleged hawala money case.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Police on Friday reached state BJP President K. Surendran's residence and served notice to him to appear before the team probing the alleged hawala money that reached the state ahead of the April 6 Assembly polls. He has been asked to come to the Thrissur Police Club at 10 a.m on Tuesday. Surendran's driver and an aide have already been questioned by the police.

The BJP's Kerala unit was caught on the wrong foot when a person filed a complaint with the Thrissur rural police that an amount of Rs 25 lakh which he was carrying in his vehicle to pay advance money for a land transaction was robbed from him on the Thrissur-Kodakara highway in April. Ever since this row broke out, the national leadership is peeved especially when reports surfaced that tribal leader C.K. Janu's party JRP received Rs 10 lakh from Surendran, for returning to the BJP-led NDA. The revelation by JRP Treasurer Praseeda Azhikode was quickly denied by Surendran and Janu, who threatened to take legal steps against her.

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The CPI-M's acting Secretary and convenor of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), A. Vijayaraghavan, then alleged that this money was "Hawala" money being used for the BJP to fund its electioneering and the money was meant for party candidates. He also alleged that the BJP is responsible for the "Hawala" network and added that this was the first time such a huge money transfer has taken place in the state.

Vijayaraghavan then alleged that an amount of Rs 3.5 crore was allegedly swindled and that senior state leaders of the BJP were behind the deal. Soon the Kerala Police registered a case and by now, various lower and middle-level leaders of the BJP have been questioned and let off.

IANS