‘Scooters, laptops at half price’: SIT to investigate Kerala CSR fund scam case
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Kerala Police Crime Branch will investigate the alleged Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund scam, also known as the “half-price scam”. The investigation was transferred to the Crime Branch due to the sensitive nature of the cases.
Investigation Team: An 80-member unit headed by Crime Branch superintendent of police MJ Sojan will lead the probe.
Nature of the Scam: The scam involved promises of two-wheelers, laptops, and household appliances at half price, falsely claiming to utilize CSR funds.
Accusations and Arrests:
Ananthu Krishnan, the main accused, was arrested on January 31.
Retired Kerala High Court Judge, Justice CN Ramachandran Nair, and executive director of the Sai Gramam Global Trust, KN Ananda Kumar, have also been booked in connection with the scam.
Complainant: Danimon, the president of Angadippuram Kisan Service Society (KSS), filed a complaint stating that the accused collected ₹34 lakh from KSS as installments.
Cases Filed: 34 cases have been registered across police stations in Kerala, including 11 FIRs each in Idukki and Ernakulam Rural, eight in Alappuzha, three in Kottayam, and one in Kannur town. Over 150 FIRs have been filed in connection with the scam across several districts.
Alleged Amount Defrauded: Preliminary investigations by Kerala Police estimate that Ananthu Krishnan defrauded at least ₹800 crore through fraudulent CSR schemes. Other reports indicate that the total fraud amount is estimated at ₹500 crore.
Scheme Details: The National NGO Confederation, founded by Ananthu Krishna, brought together around 170 local NGOs to gather CSR funds from companies to cover half the cost of products offered to people who signed up for the scheme. Scooters worth ₹1.20 lakh were offered for ₹60,000, and laptops worth ₹60,000 for ₹30,000.
Investigation Scope: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) have launched an investigation into the scam. The DGP directed the ADGP crime branch to head the probe and asked him to submit the preliminary report within 15 days and the investigation report within 30 days.
