Wayanad (Kerala): Just days after the ruling CPM and several senior leaders were named in the Enforcement Directorate’s final charge-sheet in the Karuvannur Cooperative Bank scam, another CPM-backed cooperative society in Kerala is facing public ire—this time in Wayanad. Several depositors have alleged that they are unable to recover their savings from the Brahmagiri Development Society, which is run by local leaders of the CPM.

The controversy follows closely on the heels of the Karuvannur Bank case involving misappropriation of nearly Rs 300 crore, where the CPM, its lone Lok Sabha MP K Radhakrishnan, former minister and MLA A C Moideen, and other party functionaries have been listed as accused by the ED.

The Brahmagiri Development Society, which was previously chaired by Wayanad district CPM leader and current SC/ST Welfare Minister O R Kelu, is now managed by prominent leaders from the party’s district unit.

On Thursday, over two dozen concerned depositors gathered outside the Society office, voicing distress over its failure to return their funds.

"I had deposited Rs 19 lakh, the sum I got as part of my retirement benefits. While depositing the money, I told them (society officials) that I might need it back quickly as my daughter’s wedding is being planned," said an agitated woman.

"After my daughter’s wedding was fixed, I came to get the money and I was sent back each time, with promises that I would be given the money back, but till date I have not got anything," she added.

Another woman depositor claimed to have put in Rs 45 lakh and said she had received nothing but empty assurances when she asked for a withdrawal.

“The stage today is that despite our best efforts to reach Kelu or the BDS officials, none of them are picking up our calls. I will not budge as I need my money back and I am ready to stage a sit-in protest before the society office," said another visibly upset woman at the site.

Reacting to the growing protests, Wayanad district Panchayat president Samshad Marrakar said the Society is under full control of the CPM leadership.

"People are running helter-skelter as deposits are not being returned, and this has been going on for a while. All the top state leaders of the CPM, including state secretary M V Govindan, are aware of the present fluid situation of the society. Apart from individual depositors, the Society holds deposits from numerous primary cooperative societies, and hence it is a serious issue," said Marrakar.

Founded by late CPI-M legislator P.V. Varghese Vaidyar, the BDS expanded under subsequent leadership, including MLA Krishna Prasad. Over time, it diversified into multiple ventures, but many of these reportedly failed to perform as expected. The situation worsened after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, from which the society has not recovered—leaving its depositors in limbo.