Kerala money laundering case: ED interrogates Karakonam medical college Director

Kochi: Days after the Enforcement Directorate conducted raids at the headquarters of the Church of South India (CSI) in Thiruvananthapuram and against the Church officials in an alleged money laundering case reported against a medical college run by the church at Karakonam, the ED has interrogated the Director of the medical college, Dr J Bennet Abraham on Tuesday in Kochi.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported about the raid and the allegations. The church was alleged to have accepted capitation fees for admission to a medical college run by it, which is Dr Somervell Memorial CSI Medical College and Hospital and the deal reportedly involved black money.

Also Read:Kerala: CSI under ED scanner for alleged admission scam at Karakonam medical college

The ED had issued the notice to Bennet on Saturday asking him to appear for questioning following which he went to the ED office on Tuesday around 11 AM, reports The New Indian Express.

Abraham had also contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections as an LDF candidate in Thiruvananthapuram. He was called in by the ED to question him about the details regarding admission fees collected by the medical college. The latter also took the bank account details of the medical college.

The ED had questioned the CSI South Kerala Bishop D Rasalam for three days in connection with the case. The bishop was one of the main accused booked by the Kerala police who was accused of taking huge amounts of money from students on the promise of a medical seat at the college run by the church. CSI South Kerala's administrative secretary TT Praveen fled the country before the raid was conducted by the ED at the church establishments two weeks back.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that Bishop A Dharmaraj Rasalam had appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kochi in connection with the probe.

As per sources, he might be again questioned in the coming days as they suspect that they had fraudulently made Rs 100 crore after collecting the capitation fees from undergraduate and postgraduate students. The money was allegedly diverted to separate bank accounts without providing receipts. The college is alleged to have collected Rs 60 lakh as a capitation fee from each student, reports the Times of India.

Also Read:Kerala: CSI Bishop appears before ED in connection with Karakonam medical college scam