IUML MLA arrested in Kerala gold jewellery scam

Kasaragod, Nov 7 : In a blow to the oppositionCongress-led UDF in Kerala ahead of Local body polls nextmonth, an IUML legislator M C Kamaruddin was arrested onSaturday in connection with cases registered against him in amulti-crore financial fraud relating to gold jewellerybusiness.

The Manjeshwaram MLA was called in forquestioning by the Special Investigation Team this morning andhis arrest was recorded by evening, police said.

The arrest was under sections 406 (criminalbreach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code,provisions of Kerala Protection of Interests of Depositors inFinancial Establishments Act and section 3 and 5 of thebanning of unregulated deposit schemes act.

“He has been arrested under three cases andcurrently, the probe team is investigating 77 cases againsthim,” a senior police official told PTI.

However, police said as many as 115 cases havebeen registered against the MLA in Kasaragod and Kannurdistricts on complaints from investors, mostly workers of theIndian Union Muslim League (IUML), a major ally of the UnitedDemocratic Front (UDF).

While UDF convener M M Hassan said the arrestwas politically motivated, Kerala PCC president MullapallyRamachandran said “let the law take its course.” Kamaruddin, who is the chairman of FashionGold Jewellery, also maintained that his arrest was”politically motivated.” “This is a politically motivated case.My caseis coming up in the High Court on Monday.No notice was issuedto me before the arrest.The government is trying to hide itsfaults by arresting me.

They cannot destroy me by any of this,” Kamaruddintold reporters as he was being taken to a hospital forCOVID-19 test soon after his arrest.

Another district leader of IUML, T K PookoyaThangal, who is also the Managing Director of Fashion Gold,around which the fraud has taken place, was also called to theSP office in Kasaragod,police said The IUML leadership had given the MLA six monthstime to repay the amounts taken from the investors.

Following the arrest, the IUML has called for anurgent meeting at Kozhikode on Sunday.PTI RRT UD BNWELCOME BNWELCOME

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)