Police suspect a wider racket involving forged Enforcement Directorate communications; investigation underway to identify other possible victims and accomplices
PRAVASISAMWAD.COM
KOCHI: Kerala Police have arrested Rajendran Vellapalath, chairman of the Kerala Pravasi Association (KPA), for allegedly forging an Enforcement Directorate (ED) notice and attempting to extort money from a multi-state cooperative credit society in Kerala.
Vellapalath, a Middle East-based businessman, was arrested by the Ernakulam Rural Crime Branch on Thursday and subsequently remanded to judicial custody. He has been booked under Sections 308 (extortion), 319(2) (cheating by personation) and 340(2) (forgery) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The case came to light after the Indian Cooperative Credit Society Limited (ICCSL), headquartered in Thrissur, received a letter on October 13, purportedly issued by a senior ED official. The communication claimed that the agency had initiated a preliminary investigation into alleged money laundering and sought financial records, including details of deposits, loans and suspicious transactions reported to the Reserve Bank of India.
However, the society became suspicious and contacted the ED’s Delhi office, which reportedly confirmed that no such notice had been issued.
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According to the police, Vellapalath subsequently approached the society’s chairperson, Sojan V Avirachan, offering to resolve the purported ED investigation
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He allegedly sought a substantial investment in his company, claiming to have helped settle similar cases involving other prominent businesses
The society’s chairperson confirmed that Vellapalath had approached him and played audio recordings during their interaction. The society subsequently lodged a complaint with the police.
Investigators are now examining whether other companies and institutions were targeted through similar forged notices and whether additional individuals were involved in the alleged operation.
Vellapalath heads the Kerala Pravasi Association, an NRI-led political organisation that joined the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He has also been associated with political leaders during subsequent election campaigns.
The investigation is continuing, and the allegations against the accused are yet to be established in court.
