A Kerala cooperative society faces fraud allegations from CPI(M) after a depositor, Ibrahimkutty Haji, allegedly died by suicide due to the society's failure to return his deposits.
Key Points
- CPI(M) alleges a Kozhikode cooperative society committed fraud, leading to a depositor's suicide.
- The deceased, Ibrahimkutty Haji, reportedly had significant funds tied up in the Kadathanad Labour Contract Co-operative Society.
- CPI(M) claims the cooperative society is run by local Congress leaders and was inaugurated with the involvement of IUML members.
- Ibrahimkutty allegedly warned the society of suicide if his money was not returned.
- Police have registered a case of unnatural death and are investigating the matter.
CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan on Saturday accused a Kozhikode-based cooperative society of fraud after one of its depositors allegedly died by suicide a day ago.
The CPI(M) state secretary termed the incident as "murder", saying the deceased's money was tied up in the cooperative society, which was allegedly not returning it.
Allegations Against Congress Leaders
Govindan claimed that the Kadathanad Labour Contract Co-operative Society in Kozhikode, where the deceased -- Ibrahimkutty Haji -- had deposited lakhs of rupees was run by local Congress leaders and was inaugurated in the presence of prominent members of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
"In this manner, people were misled into depositing huge amounts of money in the organisation. It was a huge fraud and loot committed by the cooperative society. It was revealed due to his death. There are many others who are facing the same situation," he alleged.
Desperate Pleas Ignored
He said that Ibrahimkutty had informed the cooperative society several times that he would have to resort to suicide if he does not get his money back, not even a fraction of it was returned, and therefore, "effectively it was a murder".
"So, he set himself on fire outside the house of the local Congress leader," the CPI(M) state secretary said.
Society's Response
A senior office bearer of the cooperative society told a TV channel that they had asked Ibrahimkutty to wait for a couple of months and by then some portion of his invested amount would be returned.
"We told him that with the coming of the new government the amounts we were to get would be released and once panchayats start the tendering process, we will start work and slowly return him the entire amount he had deposited," the office bearer said.
Ibrahimkutty allegedly set himself on fire on Friday morning outside the home of the local Congress leader and by evening succumbed to the burns suffered in the incident, police said.
Police has registered a case of unnatural death and is looking into the matter, it said.
