The Kerala Police have arrested the national president of the Congress-allied Kerala Pravasi Association for his alleged involvement in an extortion racket that used forged Enforcement Directorate (ED) notices to target institutions.
The forged communication claimed to have been issued by Arvind Kumar Singh, Assistant Director (PMLA), and carried an official-looking reference number. They received a communication on October 13, which was dated October 5, purportedly issued by the Enforcement Directorate’s Delhi Zonal Office-II, according to the FIR.
The envelope carrying the notice also has two telephone numbers, according to the complaint. When contact was established, individuals on the other end indicated that the “money laundering probe” could be permanently settled if the cooperative’s top management agreed to negotiate and make payments through those specific channels.
The arrest has also brought Rajendran’s political associations into focus. Rajendran used to participate in political programmes and campaign journeys led by Kerala chief minister VD Satheesan (then Opposition leader) during the recent Assembly election campaign. His arrest in the case is likely to trigger political ire over the UDF and Congress’s association with the organisation and its leadership. However, investigators have not yet found evidence linking the leadership of the Congress party or the UDF coalition to the alleged criminal operations.
