Thiruvananthapuram: The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday conducted searches at 12 locations in Kerala in connection with the alleged fake CSR fund scam, in which fraudsters swindled money from many people across Kerala by falsely promising to offer laptops, two-wheelers, and home appliances at half-price. The fraudsters include a racket of NGOs who swindled around Rs 500 crore from victims, The Indian Express reported.
Official sources said the entities, trusts and individuals who have "received" money from Anandu Krishnan, the prime suspect in the case, are being searched to trace the proceeds of crime collected from poor people. The premises belonging to KN Anandakumar, chairman of prominent NGO Sri Sathya Sai Orphanage Trust, and Congress leader Laly Vincent, who had been Ananthu Krishnan’s legal adviser, were also searched in the simultaneous search drive.
Role of some politicians, electronic dealers, automotive dealers, cooperative banks and a fertiliser manufacturing company are under the scrutiny of the federal probe agency.
A money laundering case is also there, stemming from an FIR of the Kerala Police Crime Branch wing. The Crime Branch had told a court that Krishna has 21 bank accounts, and he had allegedly mobilised Rs 548 crore from around 30,000 applicants, who became the victims paying him for products that he promised at half price.
According to complaints received by the police, the fraudsters made false offers, claiming that the discount was part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities of various NGOs and charitable organisations.
The police had arrested Krishnan, a resident of Thodupuzha in Idukki district, for allegedly defrauding people of several crores by promising scooters, sewing machines, home appliances, and laptops at half price.
The police are conducting a comprehensive investigation into the scam, which has led to complaints from across the state.