Qatar KMCC heist: Surrendered BJP leader claims he was forced to take part in ₹8 cr robbery

Kozhikode: A local BJP leader who surrendered to the Koyilandy police in connection with the theft of more than ₹8 crore from the Qatar office of the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC) has claimed that he was unaware of the robbery before travelling abroad. His statement has added a new twist to the case.

Balakrishnan, 60, who contested the last local body elections as a BJP candidate in Koyilandy Municipality, surrendered to the police on Wednesday. He is the fourth accused in the robbery that took place on September 18, 2025.

In a video confession that surfaced on Thursday, Balakrishnan claimed that a group of people had taken him to Qatar last year on the promise of a job. He said he agreed to travel because he wanted to visit the Gulf, and the group arranged his visa and flight ticket.
“As I am a welding worker, they approached me with an offer of employment in Qatar. They provided me with a visa and a flight ticket. I travelled to Qatar with Rashid and another person named Sai Baba. I came to know that the premises belonged to KMCC only after entering the office. I was forced to participate in the crime under threat. I helped open the lock using a gas cutter because they threatened me,” he said.

The robbery allegedly took place on September 18, 2025, when the accused tied up and assaulted a room boy at the KMCC office before using a gas cutter to break open the strongroom. They allegedly stole 3.1 million Qatari riyals.

Balakrishnan further claimed that he had been promised ₹10 lakh for opening the locker. “However, once the locker was opened and the money was retrieved, the others left with it. Bombay Shaji, Rashid and Salih were with me that day. I was paid ₹50,000 after the theft and another ₹1.5 lakh after returning home,” he said.

The incident has triggered controversy, particularly over the KMCC leadership's failure to file a complaint immediately after the theft. The delay has fuelled allegations and raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Six people have been named as accused in the case, which was registered based on a complaint filed by a Kannur native. Balakrishnan is the fourth accused, while the other five—Shaji, Rashid, Salih, Hassan and Nisar—are absconding. According to reports, Balakrishnan told investigators that the absconding accused had arranged his passport and visa to facilitate his travel to Qatar.

After being produced before the Nadapuram court, Balakrishnan was remanded to judicial custody and lodged at the Koyilandy Sub-Jail.

Meanwhile, local BJP leaders have demanded a comprehensive investigation into the robbery, including scrutiny of the alleged involvement of senior KMCC leaders.

BJP North District President Praful Krishnan said the investigation should extend to the KMCC leadership and called for a thorough probe to establish the facts.
He maintained that Balakrishnan had not disclosed the matter to anyone in the BJP and argued that the incident should not be attributed to the party. According to him, the BJP's local leadership had no knowledge of the robbery or its background when Balakrishnan was selected as a candidate in the local body elections.

Krishnan also questioned whether Balakrishnan could have carried out a robbery of such a scale on his own, suggesting that the accused may have been used as a pawn. He described the KMCC leadership's silence and its failure to lodge an immediate complaint as suspicious.

He demanded that all those suspected of involvement, including KMCC workers, be apprehended and that a proper investigation be conducted to bring the truth to light.

KMCC is a charitable and cultural organisation associated with the Indian Union Muslim League, serving party supporters and Malayali expatriates working in GCC countries and other parts of the world. According to reports, the stolen money belonged to Snehanidhi, a fund established to support the welfare of KMCC members in Qatar.