Kozhikode, Oct 28 (IANS) Police have continued evidence collection in the alleged robbery of around Rs 8 crore from the Qatar office of the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC), taking the fourth accused to Karipur airport and locations linked to the case.
P. Balakrishnan, 60, who surrendered before the Koyilandy police on October 21, was taken to various places by the investigation team led by Circle Inspector R.N. Prashanth.
The locations included Karipur International Airport and the house of Bombay Shaji, who is identified as the prime accused in the case.
Police also conducted evidence collection at places reportedly linked to the alleged conspiracy.
The investigation concerns the theft of 31 lakh Qatari riyals, estimated at around Rs 8 crore, from the KMCC office in Al Thumama, Doha, on September 18, 2025.
The strong room locks were allegedly broken using a gas cutter before the cash was taken away.
The money was reportedly kept for the KMCC’s Sneha Suraksha welfare scheme, intended to support its members and their families.
Balakrishnan, a welder and local BJP leader who contested the Koyilandy municipal elections, is the fourth accused in the case.
He surrendered after the police registered a case based on a complaint filed by P.K. Abdul Rahim, vice-president of the Qatar KMCC unit.
In a statement that emerged after his surrender, Balakrishnan claimed that he had travelled to Qatar on the promise of a job and was forced to break open the strong room.
He alleged that others took away the money. His claims are yet to be established in court.
Five other persons have been named as accused in the case.
Police are continuing efforts to trace those who have not been arrested.
The case came into focus after the robbery allegations surfaced nearly a year after the incident.
The delay in filing a formal complaint also triggered questions about the handling of the missing funds.
The investigation is seeking to establish the roles of the accused and the circumstances surrounding the alleged robbery.
The police have not publicly established the full sequence of events or the whereabouts of the entire amount reported stolen.
The case has also attracted political attention because Balakrishnan had contested a local election as a BJP candidate.
Another political angle in the case is that it has triggered criticism of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second-largest ally of the Congress-led UDF, to which the Qatar KMCC is affiliated.
The party faced questions over the reported delay of nearly a year in filing a formal police complaint about the theft.
Amid the controversy, the IUML expelled Qatar-based businessman Razak Kunnummel, also known as Rotana Razak, from the party and its affiliated organisations
The investigation is continuing.
–IANS
sg/dpb