Kochi: In a major move, the Enforcement Directorate has taken CPM leader P R Aravindakshan into custody in connection with a money laundering case in Kerala, media reports said.
Aravindakshan, who is a councillor and Health Standing Committee chairman of the Wadakkanchery municipality in Thrissur, was questioned by the ED the other day pertaining to financial irregularities in Karuvannur cooperative bank in Irinjalakuda in Thrissur, the reports said.
He is likely to be produced before the court in Kochi on Wednesday. Aravindakshan is a close associate of former minister A C Moideen of CPM and State committee member, who was questioned by the ED a few days back, the reports said.
The agency claimed that many benami loans were disbursed on the instructions of Moideen.
ED raided the residence and offices of Moideen and froze bank accounts and fixed deposits of Moideen and his wife.
P Satheeshkumar and P P Kiran, who was described by the ED as beneficiaries of illegally sanctioned loans, were arrested by the ED some days back.
Several loans were disbursed in violation of the rules and procedures in the bank under control of the CPM. Title deeds of properties of several persons were illegally used without their knowledge for securing loans, reports quoting ED officials said.
ED detains P R Aravindakshan
