Kochi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has completed its investigation into the Kodakara hawala case and is set to submit its charge sheet to the court within a month. The accused in the charge sheet will mirror those in the Crime Branch's charge sheet. According to findings by the Crime Branch, the stolen money was intended for the BJP's election fund. However, the ED's investigation has focused only on the dealings after the robbery, without addressing the source of the funds, raising serious concerns.

The state police maintain that identifying the source of the stolen money is crucial in a money laundering case. The police conducted an inquiry into this aspect and provided a report on the funds' origins to the ED. The report traced the money to BJP members in Karnataka, particularly a member of the Rajya Sabha. However, the ED did not pursue this lead, limiting its investigation to tracking the money after the robbery. While the ED is preparing to submit the charge sheet in the next four weeks, there is growing criticism that the investigation has not progressed in the right direction.

The case came to the fore again following revelations by Sathees, a former BJP office secretary. The robbery, linked to the highway heist in Kodakara on April 3, 2021, involved the smuggling of Rs 3.5 crore intended for ‘election campaigning’. A group of people intercepted the car transporting the money near Kodakara by staging a fake accident, and subsequently looted the funds. Satheesh later disclosed that the money was part of the BJP's election fund, transported in sealed bags. He also revealed that he had arranged rooms for those bringing the funds.

The developments have drawn considerable attention to the case, raising further questions regarding the investigation and the handling of the stolen money.