Rs 3.50 crore highway robbery before polls: Kerala BJP chief’s aide questioned

The two were questioned based on the statements of RSS worker A K Dharmarajan, who had claimed to have lost Rs 25 lakh in the robbery on a highway stretch between Thrissur and Ernakulam on April 3.

Graft row: Kerala BJP chief to meet top leaders today

Sources said BJP state President K Surendran arrived in the national capital on Tuesday evening. (File)

The probe into the case of Rs 3.50-crore highway robbery just before the Kerala Assembly polls Saturday reached the office of state BJP chief K Surendran with the police questioning his office secretary, Dipin, and driver, Libeesh.

The two were questioned based on the statements of RSS worker A K Dharmarajan, who had claimed to have lost Rs 25 lakh in the robbery on a highway stretch between Thrissur and Ernakulam on April 3. As the probe progressed, police unearthed more money and suspected it could be hawala transaction.

“Dipin and Libeesh were in touch with Dharmarajan before and after the robbery, as their phone call details show. They have denied knowledge about the movement of money. The probe is now about ascertaining the source and destination of the money that was being moved on the highway,” a police source said Saturday. “We haven’t issued notice to anyone to appear before police for the next two days,’’ the source added.

Senior leader and former party state president C K Padmanabhan said that everyone has to pay a price for their act. “That is nature’s law,” he said. “Nature as well as politics has become dirty — that’s all I want to say on World Environment Day.”

On Saturday, Loktantrik Yuva Janata Dal national president Salim Madavoor petitioned the Election Commission, accusing the BJP of extensively using black money in the Assembly polls.

Senior Congress leader and MP, K Muraleedharan, said an impartial probe into the “hawala dealings of the BJP” would reach the top. He said, “The CM should say whether he is ready for a foolproof probe. BJP central leaders should be brought under the probe.”

Shaju Philip

Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More

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