Bengaluru: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has questioned Bineesh Kodiyeri to obtain more information on the drug racket case involving Anoop Mohammad, a resident of Vennala Kochi.
A three member NCB team comprising Bengaluru unit director Amit Ghawate questioned Bineesh, son of CPM Kerala secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, at the Shanthinagar Zonal Office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The NCB move comes in the wake of Anoop's statement that he was a benami working on the instructions of Bineesh. The NCB officials are trying to mainly ascertain whether the money given by Bineesh to Anoop was used in the drug racket.
According to available information, in the event of getting any evidence on this count, NCB will take Bineesh into custody for further questioning and arraign him as an accused in the case.
In his earlier statement given to NCB, Anoop had stated that Bineesh gave him money to run the hotel "Hayat" in Kammanahalli in Bengaluru. But during further questioning by ED, he disclosed that Rs 50 lakh had come to his bank account through Bineesh.
Bineesh in silent mode
Bineesh continued to remain non-cooperative during the third day of questioning. He maintained complete silence when investigating officers asked him about the huge amounts deposited by Anoop in Bineesh's bank accounts in Kerala. A team led by ED deputy director Rahul Sinha is questioning Bineesh.
While admitting that he had transferred money to Anoop on several occasions since 2015 for running hotel Hayat, Bineesh remained firm on the stand that he was not aware of Anoop’s other transactions. However, ED made it clear that financial transactions had taken place between the two even before they started running the hotel in Kammanahalli. The questioning is taking place on the basis of the details of mutual bank transactions and phone calls that the investigating officials have collected. Bineesh's custody period in ED ends at 5 pm on Monday.
30 hours questioning in three days
Bineesh was questioned for 10 hours on Saturday. With this the investigating agency has questioned him for a total of 30 hours in three days. Bineesh, who was kept at the nearby Wilson Garden police station during the night, was brought to the ED office by two officials at 8.30 am. He was clad in the same white T - Shirt and black pants which he wore on Friday.
Breakfast was given to him at 8.45 am and the questioning began at 10.30 am. Around 1.30 pm, a friend came with clothes for Bineesh. NCB officers reached the ED office at 5.30 pm to collect information and returned at 7.45 pm. After the completion of the day's questioning he was taken back to Wilson Garden police station at 8.30 pm. Questioning will continue on Sunday.
Binoy Kodiyeri could not file plea
Even though elder brother Binoy Kodiyeri had said that he would approach the Karnataka High Court against ED decision to not allow him to meet Bineesh, he could not file the petition on Saturday because of holiday. Though he has claimed a petition would be filed on Sunday, it is unlikely to happen since Bineesh's custody period ends the same day.