States : Fraud Case: Dubai Bans CPM Leader?s Kin

Binoy Kodiyeri, elder son of the Kerala CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, has been issued a travel ban by the Dubai police that stops him from leaving UAE. The ban came in the wake of an allegation, of cheating a travel agency of Rs 13 crore.  Reports say that he was stopped at the Dubai International Airport on February 4 night and his passport was impounded when he tried to fly out to Bharat. It was issued in connection with a case registered by Dubai Police; Police order banned the accused from leaving the country.
Hassan Ismail Abdullah Al Marzooqi of JAAS Tourism LLC, Dubai, alleged in his complaint that Binoy had fled UAE for Bharat after cheating his organisation of Rs 13 crore. Complaint states that the company tried to settle the disputes and the case with the help of some interceders; his father Kodiyeri Balakrishnan was also informed. Al Marzooqi alleges that Binoy had given three cheques to his firm, and, all of them bounced.
When the initial news hit the headlines, both Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and his sons kept on telling the media that there was no case against Binoy. Later on Bineesh, Kodiyeri’s younger son told the media that it was not right to drag his father’s name into the controversy. Binoy was “capable enough to settle it.  
BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan has demanded an enforcement enquiry into the allegation and has also demanded an enquiry into the benami assets of the CPM state secretary. He demanded, CPM state secretary should step down from the political positions. Initially he lied to the people that his son was not involved in any fraudcase in Dubai. People have the right to know what sort of business the sons of a former Home Minister and former MLA do in Dubai. He should also explain the reason for lying initially. His sons  had amassed crore by abusing the political clout and power. Did Yechury mean them when he stated the other day that party workers should not utilise the party as a tool for making fortunes?
BJP spokesman MS Kumar said, if at all Kodiyeri does carry an iota of self-esteem, he should resign from the party positions. Kumar added, financial manipulations were behind the Loka Kerala Sabha organised by the Government of Kerala recently. Benami connections are suspected behind the programme. Kodiyeri belonged to an ordinary family. But, now his family possesses assets worth several crore.
Another revelation regarding a similar case against Sreejith Vijayan, son of CPM MLA Vijayan Pillai. Pillai is a novice in politics. When he got the party ticket to contest the Assembly elections in 2016 from Chavara constituency, there were rumours that he was the nominee of a rich Malayali businessman in Dubai. Apparently Bineesh Kodiyeri was holding a senior position in this businessman’s Dubai offices. There are unconfirmed reports that Sreejith had been convicted by the Dubai court. When the media reports poured in, he obtained a lower court order preventing the media from reporting news about his case. But, Kerala High Court has stayed that order on January 6 saying that it was the denial of the right to information.
The High Court’s interim stay order came on a petition filed by the Chief Editor of daily newspaper challenging the order of the sub court. The petitioner contended that the sub court’s interim injunction was illegal. The gag order came on a petition filed by Sreejith seeking to restrain the media and others from reporting the criminal case registered by the Rahul Krishna, a businessman.
LDF convener and CPM veteran Vaikkom Viswan tried to simplify the matter when the reporters asked him about it. He said, “When youths go abroad and try to do business, these sorts of things happen; it is natural!”
The row has come up during the crucial hours of organisational elections of CPM. Last state conference and Party Congress had called on the leaders and cadres to uphold the proletarian values and follow austere lifestyle. And, Kodiyeri was all set to continue as the state secretary of the party after the state conference.
Meanwhile Janam TV informed the viewers that Bineesh Kodiyeri is involved in similar cases in Dubai. It says, he is worried about the court proceedings hence evading Dubai visits.
One thing is clear. The scandal shakes the ruling LDF apparatus in general and CPM in particular. Observers suspect the hands of P. Jayarajan and Yechury in spreading the scandal to the media. Yechury is angry with the party’s Kerala unit since it supported Prakash Karat line and defeated his (Yechury’s) endeavour to get his line for alliance with Congress endorsed in the party meeting few days before. Jayarajan is unhappy about the state leadership’s (read Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and Pinarayi Vijayan) efforts to clip his wings and prevent him from further self promotion. If these are the premises of the issue, one should not be surprised if party ends up in a split soon.