Karnataka BJP MP denies involvement in hawala money flow to Kerala for 2021 polls

Thiruvananthapuram: A BJP leader from Karnataka is also under the scanner in connection with the alleged hawala money flow to Kerala for malpractices during the 2021 Assembly elections.

A report sent by the Kerala police to the Enforcement Directorate mentions the name of BJP Rajya Sabha MP and Karnataka legislative council former member Lehar Singh along with a few others who were allegedly involved in the illegal money transaction.

The report also stated that Rs 41.4 crore was illegally brought to Kerala during the 2021 election with the knowledge of BJP state president K Surendran.

While Lehar Singh told DH that he did not know anything about the issue, Surendran told reporters that he would end politics if his involvement in the Hawala deal could be proved.

"I am hearing this for the first time. I am in no way associated with the election works in Kerala,' Singh told DH.

The Kerala police report to ED in 2021 says that preliminary verification revealed that one Sudheer Singh of Thrissur, Sundarlal alias Sundar Lal Agarval of Bangalore North, Sachin Settu of Maharashtra, B Pradeep of Thrissur, Rajasthan native and Bangalore West resident Vikky alias Ashok Kumar Jain and Lehar Singh were involved in illegal transportation of money for spending in the 2021 Kerala assembly election.

The Kerala police had also shared the information with the election commission and income tax department.

The police had unearthed the illegal money flow following a probe into a complaint that Rs. 25 lakh was stolen from a car in a highway heist at Kodakara in Thrissur on April 3, 2021.

The probe revealed that the actual amount stolen from the car was Rs. 3.5 crore and it was part of a total of Rs. 41.4 crore was illegally brought to the state.

The hawala money row got a fresh twist now with a former office secretary of BJP Thiroor Satheesh revealing that six sacks were brought to the BJP office in 2021 by BJP supporter and businessman Dharmarajan.

The CPM government in Kerala decided to initiate a further probe into the matter in the wake of the fresh revelation. BJP alleges that Satheesh made baseless allegations under the influence of CPM.