The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing the alleged multi-crore fund siphoning scam in the Karuvannur co-operative bank, on Saturday revealed that a CPI-M committee controlled the distribution of illegal loans in the bank.

The central probe agency on Saturday said that the parliamentary committee of the CPI-M had played a key role in sanctioning benami loans. The party had reportedly kept special minutes regarding the illegal loans as top leaders had given directions for the  same.

The ED attributed the information to the  former bank secretary Biju Kareem and present secretary Sunil Kumar. The agency’s disclosure is in the report regarding the property inspection.

The ED has revealed that a committee of CPI-M had played a key role in sanctioning benami loans in Karuvannur bank without any sufficient collateral as a part of systematic conspiracy. Such distribution of illegal loans led to the massive loan scam in the bank, the ED said.

In this connection, the BJP Kerala president K Surendran said that the ED’s report that it was the CPI-M who decided who gets loans from the Karuvannur Cooperative Bank indicates the CPM’s role in the fraud.

Surendran said that the ED report that illegal loans were given on the instructions of top CPI-M leaders and that the CPI-M Sub-Committee was placed to control the loans is serious

The ED has provisionally attached assets worth Rs 57.75 crore belonging to various individuals involved in the Karuvannur Service Cooperative Bank money-laundering case.

The ED said that the attached assets include 117 immovable properties consisting of land and buildings in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and movable properties including 11 vehicles.

Fixed deposits and credit balances in 92 bank accounts of individuals found actively involved in the offence of money laundering, have also been attached, the ED said.

Meanwhile, CPI-M Central committee member and former Minister AK Balan on Saturday called upon the employees of the Kerala State Financial Enterprises (KSFE) to be vigilant against the creation of fake chits in the company using forged names and signatures to meet business targets.

Speaking at the state conference of the KSFE Officers’ Union in Kozhikode, Balan said that with the hostile policies of the Union Government, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) was looking for an opportunity to enter into the fray.

Balan said that the BJP government is raising a strong challenge against the Constitution and the next goal of the BJP is to influence the Indian judiciary.