Kochi: The Kerala High Court sent notices on Thursday to the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and the Income Tax Department regarding the Kodakara hawala case. Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas instructed the agencies to file a report on the investigation's progress within three weeks. The High Court also sought explanations from the Central Election Commission and the state police chief.
The notice was issued based on a plea by Santhosh, the 50th witness in the Kodakara heist case, seeking to expedite the probe. The petition also alleged that no action was taken in connection with the investigation in 2021.
Kodakara hawala case
On April 4, 2021, just three days before the Kerala Assembly elections, a staged accident in Kodakara at 4.40 am led to the hijacking of a vehicle carrying Rs 3.5 crore. A Special Investigation Team later determined that the money, intended as BJP funds, was being transported from Karnataka to the BJP district treasurer in Alappuzha.