Thrissur: Ten men arrested in the Kodakara hawala heist case submitted before a local court here said that the BJP had brought in the money and the party itself contracted a gang to loot the cash.

In their bail application filed before the District Sessions Court here, the accused men pleaded innocence besides making the statement.

A gang had faked an accident to waylay and rob a car ferrying Rs 3.5 crore – allegedly to fund the BJPs’ poll campaign – on the National Highway at Kodakara around 4:30am on April 3. It was alleged that the cash was routed into the State through hawala channels.

Opposing the bail applications, District Public Prosecutor K D Babu said the looted cash was yet to be recovered. He also submitted that the accused men have been facing threat, and granting them bail would sabotage the case.

Accepting the prosecutor’s arguments, Judge D Ajithkumar rejected the bail applications.

Meanwhile, an Assistant Sub-Inspector of the special branch was transferred to the Mannuthy Police Station for launching a false campaign against the investigation team. He allegedly spread the fake news that two investigators were leaking information to BJP leaders.

Three central agencies probe case

Three central agencies, the Election Commission, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the investigation wing of the Income Tax (I-T) Department, are probing Kodakara hawala robbery case.

The special investigation team of the State police has handed over its probe report to the agencies after their request. The agencies sought the report after it was learned that the money involved was brought in through hawala route.

The ED and I-T Department are to probe the source of the money allegedly smuggled in and robbed three days before the polls.