Muvattupuzha: Even as the ‘scooter scam’, the latest controversy in the state, is being discussed widely because of the involvement of politicians in the case, one should not forget the key role played by Prameela Gireesh Kumar, Muvattupuzha municipal councillor and promoter of the Muvattupuzha Seed Society, in bringing the issue before the police. She was the first to give a statement against Ananthu Krishnan and provided the police with key evidence for the investigation. Society Secretary Reji Varghese filed the complaint, and after Prameela gave her statement, the police were able to take action and investigate the case.

Prameela Gireesh Kumar, standing committee chairperson of Muvattupuzha municipality, had previously pointed out the discrepancies and issues in the project to Ananthu Krishnan. However, his response was dismissive, suggesting, “You’re paying only half of the price, aren’t you? The rest is being handled by me,” reflecting his lack of concern. The delays in the project further raised suspicion among Prameela and others.

Meanwhile, based on a letter received by the Chief Minister, the police froze Ananthu Krishnan’s account during their investigation. This made Prameela more vigilant. The members of the Seed Society, unable to answer the local residents’ questions, found themselves in a crisis. Prameela then demanded the return of the amount paid by the people in connection with the half-priced scooter from Ananthu Krishnan.

However, after three months, there was still no action, and Ananthu Krishnan began efforts to gather more money by wooing others. After waiting for another 15 days, Prameela and Reji filed a formal complaint and gave a statement to the Muvattupuzha police.

Suspicious about the ‘half-price deal’, police kept vigil on Ananthu

In October 2024, Muvattupuzha police inspector Basil Thomas set out to investigate the authenticity of a letter from Paipra in Muvattupuzha, received by the Chief Minister’s office. The initial investigation of what seemed to be a minor complaint led the investigation towards uncovering one of the biggest financial frauds in Kerala.

A transaction of ₹450 crores in one-and-a-half years

In just one and a half years, Ananthu Krishnan’s private company accounts saw over ₹450 crores being transferred, with more than a hundred transactions taking place daily. The police initially investigated the transactions in two of his accounts and soon realized that the scam was related to a fund named CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). It was discovered that no amount had been deposited into the CSR fund during this period, prompting the police to further investigate the flow of money.

They found that the money collected from the public had been funneled into private accounts and used to buy products like scooters from various companies. As a result, the police froze ₹3 crore of the funds.

Due to the freezing of accounts without an official FIR complaint, the Muvattupuzha police had to explain their actions multiple times. A higher official in government connected to the NGO Confederation had intervened and asked the police regarding the freezing of accounts. Furthermore, efforts were made to influence the police to reopen the account after a check was issued to a vehicle dealer from Kottarakkara, to whom Ananthu owed money in connection with the ‘scooter deal’.

Timely intervention of Prameela

Meanwhile, Ananthu Krishnan returned money to two women and 46 people from a cooperative bank in Muvattupuzha, and had them sign an agreement saying that there would be no further cases. This put the police on the defensive. It was at this juncture that Prameela Gireesh Kumar and Seed Society Secretary, Reji Varghese, filed a complaint accusing Ananthu Krishnan of a ₹7.45 crore fraud. The police, acting with caution, received the complaint and arrested Ananthu Krishnan on the fifth day of the investigation.

The team handling the investigation included Sub-Inspectors P.C. Jayakumar, Bino Bhargavan, and CPOs C.K. Meeran, Bibin Mohan, and K.A. Anas.