A lawsuit was filed against a Kerala MLA on Friday for his involvement in a scam involving Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) payments. The con, carried out by primary accused Anandu Krishnan, involved duping people by fraudulently promising scooters and laptops at half price through CSR funding.
Perinthalmanna police opened an investigation against Kanthapuram following a complaint from a 24-year-old woman in Malappuram. Kanthapuram’s secretary was also charged with identical offences.
The woman alleged in her complaint that on September 25, 2024, she paid Rs 21,000 in cash and by bank transfer at Kanthapuram’s office. However, after 40 days, neither the laptop nor a refund were supplied, resulting in financial loss for the victim.
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Meanwhile, Krishnan, a Thodupuzha native, was detained for allegedly scamming people of multiple crores with similar fraudulent promises. The 26-year-old was ordered to five days in jail pending further investigation.
Satish Bino, DIG of Ernakulam Range, and Vaibhav Saxena, Rural SP, questioned Krishnan in the Aluva Police Club.
According to the police, Krishnan advertised in news articles and WhatsApp messaging that consumers could get computers for 50% off the price with delivery in 40 days. The police claimed they personally persuaded victims to trust the program.
In addition, two other fraud cases were filed in connection with this scam, one of which stemmed from Kanthapuram’s own complaint.
He said that a charitable group in his constituency was defrauded of Rs 1.88 crore by promising laptops, two-wheelers, and sewing machines. He accused officials from the National NGO Confederation, including Krishnan, of arranging the scheme in 2024.
