The brother of a senior leader of Kerala's ruling CPI(M) was on Friday taken into custody after two women protested outside a police station demanding a case of cheating be registered against him.
P. Satheeshan, brother of P. Sasi, the former political secretary to three-time Chief Minister EK Nayanar and now considered close to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, was arrested after two women approached the Casbah police station in Kozhikode to file a complaint.
"I came with a relative who has given Rs 2 lakh to Sateeshan after he promised that her husband will get a job under the dying in harness scheme. Her husband died while in government service. He knows the Chief Minister, (CPI-M State Secretary Kodiyeri) Balakrishnan and Kannur district party secretary P. Jayarajan," said one of the women.
She said the promised job did not materialise. When they asked for the money to be returned, Sateeshan was evasive. So they came to file a case, but police refused to register it, she added.
After the visuals of their protest were aired a few times, police swung into action.
Sateeshan has denied the charges.
The complainants also said that they had approached Sasi but he said that he had no contacts with his brother for a long time now.
Meanwhile, a social organisation has approached the Kannur District Collector demanding strict action against Jayarajan's son PK Jaison, whose company is building a new ayurveda resort, for demolishing a hillock in gross violation of environment rules.
The local body that gave the initial sanction has no opposition members, with all the members being from the CPI(M).
The locals are also up in arms as they allege that the partners of this resort were able to save their land when the alignment of a new road was altered, though the change will mean that this two dozen ST and SC families will lose their land.
Jayarajan, one of the most powerful leaders in the party, had to quit as State Industries Minister in 2016 after allegations surfaced that two of his close relatives were given jobs in state public sector organisations. The State Vigilance this year gave him a clean chit.
Jayarajan, however said that his son has done no wrong and vested interests were trying to tarnish him and the party by airing baseless allegations.