The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has given the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a clean chit in the 2021 Kodakara hawala case, contradicting earlier allegations made by the Kerala police. The ED submitted its chargesheet before the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Kochi, naming 23 individuals but making no direct reference to the BJP.
According to reports, the ED’s investigation revealed that Rs 3.56 crore given by Dharmaraj, an RSS man, was intended for purchasing property in Alappuzha. The chargesheet also states that Dharmaraj disclosed the source of the money, and no political connection was found in the case.
The incident, referred to as the ‘Kodakara hawala case’, took place in Thrissur’s Kodakara on April 3, 2021, just three days before the Kerala Assembly elections. A man identified as Shamjeer Shamsudeen, who was transporting Rs 3.5 crore in his car, was intercepted by three vehicles. After attacking him, the assailants fled with the looted money. However, Dharmaraj, who approached the police to report the crime, falsely claimed that the stolen money was just Rs 25 lakh.
The Kerala police who launched a probe had alleged that the hawala money was meant to be distributed to the BJP leaders towards the election expenses. As part of the probe, the police interrogated 19 BJP leaders, including the party’s former state president, K Surendran.
In December 2024, new allegations emerged when Tirur Satheesh, the BJP’s former office secretary, claimed that BJP’s Thrissur district committee office had stored up to Rs 9 crore in black money.
However, the ED took over the case on May 5, 2021, initiating an independent probe under the PMLA. The agency concluded that it found no substantial evidence linking BJP leaders to the hawala transactions. According to reports, the ED did not record Tirur Satheesh’s statement before filing the chargesheet.