The Kerala government has transferred the investigation into the multi-crore Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund scam to the Crime Branch wing . The state Police Chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb on Monday issued orders transferring the investigation into 34 cases registered at various police stations across the state in connection with the alleged CSR funds scam to the Crime Branch (CB) with immediate effect.
Cases registered in Kottayam, Alappuzha, Idukki, Ernakulam Rural and Kannur City have been handed over to CB. Other cases taken up by the local police will also be handed over to the CB. Teams led by a DSP in each district will investigate the cases.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to investigate 34 cases registered at various police stations across the state in connection with the alleged CSR funds scam.
The SIT will be headed by MJ. Sojan, Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch CU-II, Ernakulam under the supervision of the ADGP, Crime Branch. The 80-member SIT comnprises officers from Economic Offence Wing, Crime Branch units, Crime Branch Central Units and the Cyber Division.
The CSR scam , also known as half-price scam, pertains to the alleged extortion of money from multiple individuals through promises of scooters, laptops, and other household appliances at half price, falsely claiming to utilize these funds.
The police have arrested Anandhu Krishnan, a resident of Thodupuzha in Idukki district, for allegedly defrauding people of several crores by promising scooters, sewing machines, home appliances, and laptops at half price.
The police said Krishnan, the prime accused in the case, used more than 200 NGOs to execute fraudulent half-price schemes for various products such as scooters, laptops, home appliances, etc. Anandhu Krishnan, 26, a resident of Thodupuzha in Idukki district , allegedly cheated people and charitable societies across the state by promising to deliver two-wheelers, laptops and household appliances such as water purifiers and sewing machines at half the price, claiming that he was procuring them through CSR funds of big private firms. He also operated nearly 19 bank accounts through which transactions to the tune of Rs.450 crore were done in the past several months, an officer privy to the investigation said.
“The modus operandi was that Anandhu Krishnan tied up with several charitable trusts as the coordinator of the National NGO Federation and promised them that he would offer two-wheelers and other products at half the price. The trusts would help him in identifying beneficiaries, pooling funds and giving publicity to the whole initiative. Krishnan went on to cheat people as well as the charitable trusts by failing to fulfil the promise,” a police officer said
The police sources said Anandhu krishnan had formed shell companies and partnerships for financial fraud. The most important of these was a limited liability partnership company called Social Bee, which was headquartered in Girinagar, Kochi. The working capital of the company is shown as Rs 1 lakh in the documents. However, the police suspect that Anandhu Krishnan has amassed crores under the guise of this company alone. This company has been closed since his arrest.