Another BJP leader was questioned today by the special Kerala police team investigating the hawala money allegedly stolen from a car ahead of the April 6 Assembly polls.
L Padmakumar, the BJP's organising secretary in-charge for Ernakulam zone, was questioned today. Earlier, the team questioned the party's Thrissur district president K K Aneesh Kumar in connection with the matter on Tuesday.
"The probe is underway to find out the source of money and various people it was handed over to. In days to come, more BJP leaders are likely to be questioned. We are ascertaining facts," a senior police officer told NDTV.
A day after the polling for the state elections, the car's driver lodged a police complaint in which he said a gang stole Rs 25 lakh on the Ernakulam-Thrissur highway while he was transporting it. On investigating further, police found that the amount could be as much as Rs 3.5 crore and it was a hawala transaction.
Over 10 accused have been arrested in this connection so far.
Dharmarajan, who allegedly was a key contact for transport of the hawala cash, has told the police that he was getting the money transported for the BJP. "It's correct that Dharamarajan said that he was transporting money for BJP. But we are verifying his statements and questioning different people, including the accused," another police source said.
According to police, Dharamarajan is an RSS worker and claims that he has been involved in various hawala dealings in the past.
BJP state president K Surendran has said that the party has nothing to do with the matter.
"It is only because we are 100 per cent confident that this has nothing to do with the BJP that we have welcomed any probe by the police. Whoever calls, we will cooperate," Mr Surendran has told the media.
The Left and the Congress, however, have targeted the BJP and accused it of using black money in the election in subversion of democratic principles.
