Senior Kerala CPI-M Leader’s Son Linked To Bengaluru Drug Racket Allegedly Involving Malayalam, Kannada Actors

The troubles of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala seem to be never-ending. The latest controversy they are caught in is with regard to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arresting a mastermind of a Bengaluru-based drug trafficking racket.

The NCB has been trying to unearth drug mafia across the country, especially after drugs have been linked to the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Last week, the NCB arrested Mohammed Anoop, the mastermind of a drug racket in Bengaluru who has been in this for over seven years, besides two others — Rijesh Raveendran and television serial actor D Anikha.

The NCB had seized ecstasy or MDMA pills and cash during the raids conducted in various locations in Bengaluru last month after arresting the three.

Anoop had been involved in buying synthetic drugs such as MDMA from foreigners and selling it to college students, particularly at rave parties in the garden city.

He has told the NCB that Kerala CPI-M secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s son Bineesh had lent him money to take property on lease in Kammanahalli locality in Bengaluru five years ago.

This has led to a hue and cry being raised in Kerala with one of the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) members alleging that Bineesh has close links with the drug cartel.

P K Firoz, youth wing general secretary of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) — a UDF ally — has sought a comprehensive investigation into the whole issue.

The IUML leader charged Bineesh with having close links with Raveendran. All the three arrested have been allegedly been supplying drugs to several actors and musicians in Kannada movie industry.

In particular, Firoz said that Bineesh attended a party at Kumarakom on 19 June along with Anoop. “These details can be exposed if their phone call records are examined,” said the IUML leader.

Link With Gold Smuggling Too?

Firoz alleged the drug racked had links with some young artistes in the Malayalam film industry too.

In an indication that Bineesh could have some role in the Kerala gold smuggling case, the IUML leader said the CPI-M leader’s son had called Anoop 26 times the day the main accused in the case — Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair — were arrested.

Bineesh’s name has been cropping up once too often in view of his wide contacts in business circles.

His elder brother Binoy landed in a problem last year when a woman based in Mumbai lodged a complaint with the police alleging that the former had sexually exploited her for several years on the promising of marrying her.

She said they have an eight-year-old child. This case is pending awaiting the outcome of a DNA test conducted in Mumbai.

The Bharatiya Janata Party also raised the issue and demanded a thorough probe.

Bineesh Claims He Was Unaware Of Anoop’s Activities

Bineesh claimed that he knew Anoop’s family and the latter had borrowed Rs 6 lakh from him to start a restaurant. Other friends had also helped Anoop with funding, he said.

Expressing shock over Anoop’s involvement in the drug cartel, he said : "I never knew that Anoop had such a background. The news about him is shocking for me as well as other persons who know him.”

Some in the Malayalam and Kannada film industries concede that drug use is rampant. They say some actors consumer drugs at parties.

The NCB is now trying to probe the roles of filmmakers and others in the drug trafficking.