Kochi: Kerala High Court on Friday held that all the SNDP Yogam micro-financing cases in the state should be investigated by the Economic Offences Wing of the Crime Branch.
The court asked ADGP, Crimes, to issue immediate orders to appoint a proper officer who can conduct the probe and asked him to form a team within 15 days.
Justice B. Kemal Pasha issued the order on a plea filed by a native of Adoor, Pathanamthirra, urging the police to hand over the investigation pending before the Adoor police to the Crime Branch. The petitioner, Thankamani Purushothaman, convener of Chaithanya Self-Help Group, which is attached to Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Sangham, argued that through the scheme, around '76.8 lakh belonging to several people was misappropriated.
The petitioner demanded a thorough probe into the alleged scam. “In a case like this, the investigation being conducted by the local police will not yield a proper result in the nearest future,” it was stated.
“Considering the gravity of the matter involved and the allegations, the court is satisfied that the investigation of the cases has to be handed over to the Crime Branch forthwith,” the court observed.
At present, there are 12 cases registered in connection with the scheme. The scheme relates to loans worth crores of rupees procured by SNDP for disbursement to Self-Help Groups (SHGs) from the Kerala State Backward Classes Development Corporation (KSBCDC) and advances from various banks.
