The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has made allegations concerning the existence of undisclosed bank accounts linked to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPM] amid the controversial Rs 150 crore fraud at the Karuvannur Cooperative Bank in Kerala’s Thrissur district.
Reportedly, the ED has identified two accounts purportedly affiliated with the CPM Thrissur district committee. However, as of now, there is a lack of concrete documentary evidence to support these findings.
The party accounts, which legally require disclosure, are allegedly registered in the names of the CPM branch and local committee secretaries. Suspicions arise that there might be more than the two identified accounts. The data and software relevant to the Karuvannur Cooperative Bank are currently under the custody of the Crime Branch and have not been transferred to the ED. The agency believes that access to this data and software could potentially provide insights into the details of the party accounts.
In light of these allegations, the ED has summoned M M Varghese, the CPM Thrissur district secretary, to their Kochi office for questioning. Varghese underwent a ten-hour interrogation session on November 24, following which the ED issued him a notice for further questioning. The interrogation, beginning in the morning and extending into the night, reportedly faced resistance from Varghese, with the ED stating that he did not cooperate and displayed a negative approach during the questioning.
