As the raid being conducted by the Enforcement Directorate at the residence of Bineesh Kodiyeri, son of Kerala CPI(M) secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, entered the second day on Thursday, dramatic scenes were witnessed at the house at Maruthankuzhy in Thiruvananthapuram district.
Immediate family members of Bineesh even alleged that the officials denied them basic rights. Bineesh's wife, who was present at the house, accused the agency of forcing her to sign on some documents claiming the officials had found an electronic payment card from the house. She claimed that the card was not found from the house, but was brought by the officials.
Bineesh's family has lodged a complaint with the Kerala Police against the agency officials over their inhumane treatment.
Bineesh was arrested a few days ago in Bengaluru in a money laundering case. Apart from Bineesh's house, ED is carrying out searches at a few other locations in Thiruvananthapuram district and in northern Kerala, sources said.
Children's watchdog too arrives
Meanwhile, officials of the Kerala State Commission For Protection Of Child Rights, who arrived at the spot, said that they will immediately issue directions to ensure protection of Bineesh's two-and-half-year-old child, who was present at the house during the raid.
Bineesh's wife accused the ED officials of denying her and the child basic necessities.
Family members' protest
A group of Bineesh's relatives, including two women, held protests outside the house on Thursday as they were denied entry by the CRPF personnel, who were on guard. The relatives demanded to be allowed in the house and meet the family, who had not stepped out since Wednesday morning, when the raid began.
A woman, claiming to be the sister of Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's wife, told the media that their only request was that one of them be allowed to meet the family.
"We are sending food to them and it is now beyond 24 hours since the raid began. We want to know if the food is being eaten by our relatives or is it being consumed by the ED team. We will not go from here until
our request is met," said the sister of Balakrishnan's wife. Inside the house are the wife of Bineesh, their child and her parents.
Following the commotion, top Kerala Police officials arrived at the spot and after talks with the ED officials, they came and told the protesting relatives that those inside the house said 'they do not wish to see anyone'.
The raid had continued through the night and the house has been inspected by the CRPF and also a few Karnataka Police officials.
The protesters said, "We do not believe what Kerala Police just conveyed. This is just a cooked-up story. We know she (Bineesh's wife) will never say that. We want one of us to be sent inside the house."
Custody prolonged
A special court in Bengaluru had on Monday extended the ED custody of Bineesh by five more days.
The ED had produced Bineesh before the special court dealing with the money laundering cases as the initial four-day custody period came to an end on November 2.
The agency had arrested Bineesh on October 29 in a money laundering case linked to a drug seizure in Karnataka and initially took him into its custody for four days. On Sunday night, he reportedly complained of back pain, following which he was taken to the Bowring Hospital in that city for a check-up.
The central agency alleged that the "drug peddler" in the case, Mohammed Anoop, was a "benamidar" of Bineesh.
The ED probe stems from a Narcotics Control Bureau investigation that claimed to have busted an ecstasy pill trafficking racket in Karnataka in August. Anoop and two others were arrested then and later few more, including some persons from the Karnataka TV and film industry, were picked up.
Bineesh has maintained that he knew Anoop and his family and the latter had borrowed money from him and some others to set up a restaurant in Bengaluru a few years ago.
(This story was originally published in onmanorama)
