The Crime Branch of Kerala police, which is probing the financial fraud case of United Nurses Association (UNA), has put out a lookout notice against four of its office-bearers, including its national president, Jasmin Sha. UNA is one of the largest associations of registered nurses in Kerala.
Four of the office-bearers were booked by the Crime Branch as accused in the financial fraud case in June. Apart from Jasmin Sha, a lookout notice has been issued for UNA state president Shoby Joseph, driver Nidhin Mohan and office staff Jithu PD.
The notice, which was issued in various newspapers in Kerala on Thursday, states that the four accused have been residing in various places and under different names.
The accused have been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), 408 (criminal breach of trust by clerk or servant), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 465 (punishment for forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).
The investigation in the financial fraud case was initiated based on the complaint filed by Sibi Mukesh, who is the vice president of the association, in March. Sibi, in his complaint, claimed that the accused siphoned off around Rs 3 crore, which belonged to the association.
The financial fraud came to light when the accused denied financial assistance to some of the association members, who were contesting for the government’s Kerala Nurses and Midwives Council.
The Thrissur Crime Branch, which carried out the preliminary investigation, ruled out any financial irregularities. Finding the probe unsatisfactory, Sibi filed another complaint, after which it was transferred to the Crime Branch in Thiruvananthapuram. A case was registered against the four office-bearers on June 23.
Investigation officers told TNM that the wife of the first accused, Jasmin Shah, was also booked in connection with the case a few days ago. “Shabna MA has been booked as the eighth accused in the case. It was found that the majority of the financial transaction was found to be dealt through her account,” the officer told TNM. The accused is a nurse working in Qatar.
Two weeks ago, the High Court was hearing a petition filed by the accused to stay the probe. However, it dismissed the plea.
According to Sibi Mukesh, the investigation officers put out the lookout notice about six months after he filed the complaint, and that too, after the High Court's criticism.
“At the hearing in the High Court two weeks ago, the court pulled up the officers for not being able to nab an accused like Jasmin Sha, who is a regular figure on channel discussions. This might be why the officers put out the lookout notice,” Sibi Mukesh tells TNM.