A few investors of the Fashion Gold jewellery company marched to the house of Manjeshwaram Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) MC Kamarudheen in Uppala, Kasaragod, demanding his arrest. The police had registered a cheating case against the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) politician in late-August, following complaints from a number of investors, whom he had allegedly cheated. But no arrest has been made yet.
Following COVID-19 protocol of wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing, a few men and women walked to his house, holding banners demanding the arrest of MLA Kamarudheen, the prime accused in the cheating case, and another accused, Pookoya Thangal, the managing director of Fashion Gold as well as a member of the IUML.
Investors march to the house of Manjeshwaram MLA Kamarudheen in Kasargod, demanding his arrest and the arrest of IUML leader Pookoya Thangal pic.twitter.com/RFdbIuG0uN
— Cris (@cristweets) October 26, 2020
More than 750 people are estimated to have contributed to the company, many of them supporters of the IUML. As many as 84 cases were registered by the investors at several police stations across the state.
One of the protesting investors told the media that investors put their money with spiritual consideration (Pookoya Thangal is also a spiritual leader) and with political influence. “In 2017, Kamarudheen said that this shop would be closed then, but even in 2019, they received investments worth several lakhs of rupees. They told investors to put more money. This is pre-planned. The police should probe the financial dealings of the chairman, the MD, the directors and other staff and these poor people’s investments can be returned. We are requesting the Chief Minister to intervene in this case,” the investor said.
Standing outside the MLA’s house, they raised slogans, asking the police to investigate the benami dealings of the staff, and bring to light the real faces of the accused.
The jewellery company, started in 2006 had opened more companies in the years that passed, but everything was closed down in December 2019.
On October 1, the Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s Kozhikode office also initiated an inquiry in the case.