Thiruvananthapuram: The Crime Branch headquarters on Monday formed a Special Investigation Team headed by Superintendent of Police MJ Sojan IPS to probe into the controversial multi-crore CSR fund scam. SP Sojan had probed controversial cases like death of Walayar sisters. 

Kerala police received thousands of complaints regarding the fake CSR fund scam, in which numerous people were tricked into making payments for purchasing scooters, laptops, and home appliances at half price. Even after making the payments, no product was delivered to him even after 40 days. According to police, Thodupuzha native Ananthu Krishnan is the mastermind behind the fraudulent scheme.

The SIT will investigate the 34 cases registered in various police stations under the supervision of Crime Branch ADGP H Venkatesh. Officials from the Economic Offence Wing (EOW), Crime Branch Units, CB central units and Cyber division are included in the 80-member SIT.

As the crime is spread across the state, SIT will carry out the probe as 12 teams. EOW DySP PV Ramesh Kumar will lead the eight-member probe team in Thiruvananthapuram, while a six-member team led by EOW DySP C John will probe into the cases related to the CSR fund scam in Kollam and Pathanamthitta. 

Meanwhile, EOW DySP Sajad, Crime Branch DySP Sajan Xavier, EOW DySP Anil Kumar S, EOW DySP V Roy, EOW DySP PR Bejoy, EOW DySP Anil B and EOW DySP Raveendran PM will lead the teams constituted for the probe in Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram respectively. A 10-member team led by EOW DySP Justine Abraham will investigate the cases registered in Kozhikode and Wayanad. The Crime Branch formed a seven-member team headed by DySP Shaji KS in Kannur and Kasaragod districts, while a three-member team of officials in inspector rank was formed under the cyber division for the probe.