Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 5 After the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday ended its raid at Bineesh Kodiyeri's residence amid protests by his relatives, it led to a heated exchange of words between the ED officials and the local Kerala Police officials.
But Kerala Police chief Loknath Behra denied any issue between the ED and the state police.
Bineesh is the son of powerful CPI-M Kerala secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and the former since his arrest by the Bengaluru division of the ED in connection with a drugs-related money laundering case, is cooling his heels there while his house where Balakrishnan also lives was the centre of attraction for the past two days, since the raid began.
The ED after it finished its raid, was stopped by the Kerala Police officials attached to the local police station after a complaint from the father-in-law of Bineesh stating that his wife, daughter and her three-year-old child were being harrassed by the ED.
Soon the ED officials asked the inspector to come to their hotel.
"Why should I come to the hotel, you should tell me now," said the inspector. But the ED officials drove away.
In the morning there was a protest by the family members of Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's wife, who said one of them should be allowed to go and meet the two women inside the house, who were allegedly being threatened by the ED officials.
Meanwhile, the officials of the Kerala State Commission for Child Rights after hearing that the three-year-old child of Bineesh was under 'duress', also arrived at the house, but they were also not allowed entry.
"We will look into the issue and do the needful as we will not allow the rights of the children to be violated," said the Commission chairman and added they will issue an order later in the day.
Amid all the happenings, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan drove up to the party headquarters and met Balakrishnan. A party meeting was also held subsequently.
The meeting flayed the way the ED was violating the basic human rights and said it was a "politically motivated act".
In a related development the Ethics Committee of the Kerala Legislative Assembly decided to act against the ED after a complaint by CPI-M legislator James Mathew that the flagship project of the Vijayan government Life Mission was being targeted.
But the Congress state president Mullapally Ramachandran slammed the Kerala State Commission for Child Rights for running to the house of Balakrishnan.
"The Commission seems to be so concerned about the grandchild of Balakrishnan, while there is nothing happening at Palathayi (where a Class IV girl was abused in January). Such are the ways of this Commission," said Ramachandran.
Meanwhile state BJP president K. Surendran said the attempts to prevent the ED from doing its job using the police and the commission is an appalling act.
"I doubt, even if the CPI-M cadres will agree about the statement of the CPI-M, that central agencies are being used to target Balakrishnan's son. And what happened at his house today is one which is scripted from their party headquarters. Such acts can lead to violation of federal rules," said Surendran.
The raids were a follow-up on the information that the ED got from Bineesh, who has been in their custody since October 29.
Bineesh was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He is in ED custody till Saturday when he will be produced in the court at Bengaluru.
( With inputs from IANS )
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