Muthoot case: Kodiyeri denies son's role

28 August 2009

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan Friday dismissed opposition Congress charge that his son had links with those wanted in connection with the recent murder of Muthoot group scion Paul M. George, asserting that the government had nothing to hide in the case. "My son (Beenish Kodiyeri) has no relation with the case whatsoever," he said, adding the allegation that Beenish had connections with wanted gangsters was to create a 'mystery' over the case.

As more detailed probe was required into the August 22 murder, the investigation would be taken over by a special team headed by IGP Winson Paul, he told reporters here.

The case was now being probed by a team headed by a DySP. Rejecting the charge that the Home Department was trying to interfere in the investigation process, he said a deliberate attempt was being made by "vested interests" to hamper the probe and demoralise the police with allegations that 'higher ups in government wanted to protect the culprits'. The government had nothing to hide in the case and was open to "any sort of investigation", he added.

Balakrishnan also said Additional Director General of Police Sibi Mathew had been given the task of tracking down the wanted gangsters in the Goonda list including Om Prakesh and Rajesh, who accompanied George when he was murdered by a gang near Alappuzha but had been absconding since then.

The IGP-led team would also probe links of George with 'mafia and goons', Balakrishnan said.

George was the executive director of Muthoot M George group, a leading business group in Kerala with diversified interests, including financing and hospitality. On police theory that the murder was not pre-planned, but was due to 'sudden provocation' when George's car allegedly hit a motorcyclist, Balakrishnan said it was based on the "initial evidence". Probe would be conducted to ascertain whether there was any conspiracy behind the murder, he said.

Balakrishnan said the Goonda Act would be strengthened and the financial sources of the 'goons' would be probed. Steps also would be taken to confiscate the assets of wanted anti-social elements.

Asked whether the Muthoot Group had requested the government for a detailed probe into the murder, Balakrishnan said as the family was in mourning, it was better to avoid questions in this regard.