Bengaluru: It has been over a year since Bineesh Kodiyeri, the son of a veteran CPM leader, has been embroiled in a case related to shady financial dealings with alleged links to a drug racket.
Bineesh Kodiyeri may or may not be involved in drug trafficking but if he has used his money then it is a criminal offence, argued the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at the Karnataka High Court.
The ED placed the argument while opposing Bineesh Kodiyeri’s contention that he has not been arraigned as an accused in the drug trafficking case hence the money laundering case linked with drugs will not stand against him.
The arguments on the bail plea will continue on September 20.
The ED alleged that crores of rupees for which tax returns had not been filed, had flowed through Bineesh Kodiyeri’s account.
Earlier Bineesh had argued that only Rs 61 lakh was given to co-accused Anoop for starting a hotel and under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) bail cannot be denied in cases pertaining to transactions of less than Rs 1 crore.
The PMLA case would still stand even if it is not related to the case registered by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). The High Court understood that there is a prima facie case when it considered the plea filed by Bineesh Kodiyeri, the ED pointed out.
Additional Solicitor General Aman Lekhi who represented ED stated that the chargesheet has been filed on the basis of the statements given by the drug trafficking case accused, Anoop’s debit card which was recovered from Bineesh Kodiyeri’s house, and other evidence.
Bineesh Kodiyeri who was arrested on October 29, 2020 has been jailed risoner at the Parappana Agrahara Jail in Bengaluru for the past 10 months.
