Bengaluru: The source of money spent by Anoop Mohammad's AVJ Hospitalities for taking Royal Suites Hotel apartment on rent has been brought within the ambit of the probe. The ED and NCB are examining whether the money belonged to Bineesh Kodiyeri.

An agreement for Royal suites which is owned by a Malayali, was signed in February for Rs 25 lakh advance and Rs 3 lakh monthly rent. Apart from Anoop Mohammad, two other Malayalis are partners - Vinod and Jubair. The address of the company which is named after the first letters of their names - AVJ, is also mentioned under the same apartment.

After Anoop was caught with drugs by NCB officials from the AVJ apartments on August 21, the building owners informed that they had cancelled the agreement. They said that the advance money and one month’s rent was received through the bank accounts of Anoop and his two partners.

The Narcotics Control Bureau has questioned Bineesh Kodiyeri to obtain more information on the drug racket case involving Anoop Mohammad, a resident of Vennala Kochi.

A three member NCB team comprising Bengaluru unit director Amit Ghawate questioned Bineesh at the Shanthinagar Zonal Office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The NCB move comes in the wake of Anoop's statement that he was a benami working on the instructions of Bineesh. The NCB officials are trying to mainly ascertain whether the money given by Bineesh to Anoop was used in the drug racket.

According to available information, in the event of getting any evidence on this count, NCB will take Bineesh into custody for further questioning and arraign him as an accused in the case.

In his earlier statement given to NCB, Anoop had stated that Bineesh gave him money to run the hotel "Hayat" in Kammanahalli in Bengaluru. But during further questioning by ED, he disclosed that Rs 50 lakh had come to his bank account through Bineesh.