Thiruvananthapuram: Dramatic scenes were witnessed outside the house of Bineesh Kodiyeri, the son of CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, after personnel of the CRPF denied his relatives entry into the premises on Thursday during an Enforcement Directorate raid that had commenced the previous day. However, the investigators of the central agency were unmoved despite a late police bid to block their vehicle as they returned by noon.

The relatives arrived at the house demanding that they be allowed to meet Bineesh's wife Renita, their child and her mother who they alleged were detained by the ED officials who had arrived here over a money laundering probe against him. 

The visitors, which included two women, alleged that the mobile phones of Renita and others had been seized by ED hence there was no way to get in touch with them. They had arrived at the house by 8.30 am on Thursday. A spat between the CRPF personnel and the visitors soon ensued as they were told they have been deployed to provide security and none would be allowed to enter the premises without ED’s permission.  

The relatives had also brought food along with them which CRPF personnel refused to receive initially. However, later they allowed the food to be taken inside. 

Though the visiting party lodged a complaint with the local police, the latter directed them to listen to the ED.  The police said that the ED officials had informed them that Renita was not interested in meeting anyone. However, the relatives refuted this saying she would never say so and if she had indeed stated so, it could be because of coercion by ED officials.

As reported earlier Bineesh is in ED custody in Bengaluru. 

Child Rights Commission called in

Heightening the intensity of the drama, the personnel of the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights arrived at the spot by that time apparently after being alerted over the child, all of 2.5 years. Soon, Renita and her mother came out with the child after spending several hours in the house and vent their anger as they spoke to the mediapersons outside.

Allegation against ED

Renita alleged that the ED personnel tried to plant incriminatory evidence. She claimed that the investigators tried to get her sign on the inquest report (mahassar) which stated, among other things, that a debit card belonging to drug racket case accused Anoop Mohammad was recovered from the house. However, she refused to sign the report.

The ED team reportedly took a firm position that they would not allow the family members to leave the house until they sign the mahassar report containing various details including recovery of Anoop Mohammad's debit card from the house. 

Police block the squad

Outside the members of Bineesh's family even staged a sit-in warning legal action against the ED officials. They alleged that Renita was under house arrest and demanded she be released immediately. Though a police party from Poojapura station arrived at the spot after they were alerted about alleged unauthorised confinement of family members, it declined to intervene in the matter.

The police had reportedly told Bineesh's kin that they will not be allowed to stage a protest outside the house.

"We want to know what is happening inside. We are getting information only through the media. If they don’t allow us to meet them we will stage a dharna outside the house," Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's sister-in-law had told mediapersons. 

Subsequently, the ED team left the house after completing the marathon search operation. Though the police blocked the vehicle carrying ED team outside the house later they were allowed to leave. The local police prepared a statement containing the details of ED officials who had carried out the search operations.

Renita, child and his mother-in- law had remained cooped up in the house since 9 am on Wednesday when ED began the search.  

The ED officials returned from Bineesh’s house at 11 am after completing the 26-hour search operation.