People's Democracy

KERALA

CM’s Staff Having Underworld Connections

N S Sajith

IN what has come as a shocking revelation for one and all, a section of the media in Kerala has pointed out that some of the staff members of chief minister Oommen Chandy have been maintaining close relations with underworld dons. For example, it has come to light that T K Faiz, who was arrested in New Delhi a few days back in connection with gold smuggling, had had regular contact with the chief minister’s private secretary, Jikumon Jacob. Faiz, a notorious smuggler and a kingpin in human trafficking, had also called Jikumon Jacob on mobile phone just before his arrest in Delhi. Further, on September 25, he confessed to the CBI officers that he had made a call to the chief minister’s additional private secretary R K Balakrishnan while he was trying to escape. The media have also floated stories about the chief minister’s contact with Faiz.

By now, moreover, details of Jikumon’s pleasure trip to Dubai with Faiz have also been established. Officers from the customs and central excise departments and from the CBI have started interrogating Faiz.

One notes that Jikumon was also involved in the notorious solar panel scam and had had close relations with Mrs with Sarita Nair, though no case was registered against him. While answering a query in a press conference, chief minister Oommen Chandy did not deny the allegations.

Thondantavida Faiz (40) hails from East Palloor in Mahe, a territory that lies between Kozhikode and Kannur districts and falls under the Puducherri administration. He is said to be heading a hawala racket which allegedly smuggled gold worth Rs 100 crores through various airports including the Nedumbasseri airport near Kochi and the Chennai airport over the last few months. Faiz was trapped in the customs net after the confession made by two lady carriers who were caught at the Nedumbasseri airport while carrying two kilograms of gold.

It is believed that during the interrogation Faiz confessed about having close relations with senior Congress leaders including KPCC vice president M M Hassan and general secretary Shooranad Rajashekharan. Various KPCC office bearers have also travelled abroad in company with Faiz.

Investigative agencies have also got indications that Faiz has been connected with human trafficking including women’s trafficking. It is believed that he supplied women to sex rackets in the Gulf countries. Faiz also had contacts with Shravya Sudhakar, an actress and former Miss South India.

In the meanwhile, the CBI has registered cases against two customs officers who helped Faiz, and the case was to go to the court next day. The CBI also conducted raids on the residence of C Madhavan, deputy commissioner of customs preventive unit, and of P P Sunil Kumar, preventive officer. The DGP has also ordered an intelligence inquiry against crime records SP, Suni Jacob, after getting sure about his link with top police officers.