A Dubai court has reportedly issued an arrest warrant against the son of a leftist legislator in Kerala in a case of alleged financial fraud even as a pro-lDF MlA has assumed the role of a mediator for settling an issue involving State CPI(M) secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s son Binoy who is said to have duped a Dubai-based Kerala businessman and a UAE company of several crores of rupees.
The Dubai court issued arrest warrant against Sreejith, son of lDF’s Chavara MlA N Vijayan Pillai of the CMP(A), over a case by which he is accused of giving a cheque for Emirates Dirham equivalent to Rs 10 crore to Dubai-based Kerala businessman Rakhul Krishna as repayment of a loan, which got bounced at the United Arab Bank for lack of sufficient funds.
As per reports coming out of UAE, the warrant by which Sreejith should be arrested and taken to Dubai as soon as possible was issued as a follow-up to its own verdict of May 25, 2017 in the case. The court had sentenced Sreejith to two years’ imprisonment but he had allegedly fled the Emirates before the court pronounced the verdict.
A civil case is pending against Sreejith in a court in Mavelikkara in Alappuzha district, the native place of Rakhul Krishna. Also, the Chavara police had filed an FIR against him. It was Rakhul himself who had arranged loans exceeding AED 4.5 million (Rs 7 crore) to Kodiyeri’s son Binoy through JAAS Tourism llC of Dubai of which he was managing partner earlier.
Responding to reports about the case against his son, Vijayan Pillai told the media that he was not aware of Sreejith’s business deals. “He had told me that he was not involved in a financial deal of the kind being alleged. He could be punished if he has wronged,” he said, adding that he suspected that efforts were on to tarnish his image as a politician.
Pillai admitted that Rakhul had told him that Sreejith owed him money but had not specified the amount and that he had met him once. Rakhul had earlier told some television channels that he had met Pillai 17 times in connection with the matter. “An amount of Rs 10 crore is something that I can’t even imagine,” Pillai said.
Meanwhile, actor-politician KB Ganesh Kumar, MlA of the Kerala Congress (B), a supporter of the CPI(M)-led ruling lDF, on Friday reportedly held talks with Rakhul’s father-in-law Rajendran Pillai in an effort to settle the dispute between Rakhul and Kodiyeri’s son Binoy concerning the huge amount the latter allegedly owed him.
As per reports, Ganesh Kumar assumed the role of a mediator as the financial issue between the two individuals had turned into a crucial affair affecting the CPI(M), its senior Politbureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and the unity within that party. Indications were that the ground had been prepared for the settlement of the issue.
The meeting took place at a hotel owned by Rajendran Pillai in Kottarakkara, the native place of Ganesh Kumar. It is said that the MlA and his father Balakrishna Pillai, former Minister and supremo of the KC(B), are close to Rajendran Pillai because of the association of all three with Nair Service Society, organisation of Hindu upper caste Nairs.
The entire CPI(M) had fallen into an embarrassing situation after a complaint surfaced in the media in which UAE citizen Hasan Ismaeel Abdulla Almarzooqi, sponsor of JAAS Tourism llC, stated that Binoy Kodiyeri had fled Dubai without repaying a loan of over AED 4.5 million he had taken through the company by using his friendship with Rakhul.
He had alleged in the complaint that a case was pending against Binoy in a Dubai court and that his company had been advised to approach Interpol. It is also said that Almarzooqi had approached the CPI(M) leadership seeking its help for making Binoy repay the money he allegedly owed JAAs Tourism. Binoy, Kodiyeri and the CPI(M) have rejected all the charges.