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More complaints are emerging against a 26-year-old man accused of duping multiple people by falsely promising scooters and laptops at half price with the help of CSR funds of major companies across the state. The total fraud is now expected to be around Rs 600-700 crore, the police said on Thursday.
Anandu Krishnan, a resident of Thodupuzha in Idukki district, has been arrested for allegedly defrauding people of several crores by promising scooters, sewing machines, home appliances, and laptops at half price.
A fresh case has been registered against him and six others including Congress leader Lali Vincent, in the Kannur district, the police said.
A senior police officer said around 50 complaints have been received from the North Paravur area in Ernakulam alone, involving fraud worth crores.
So far, 12 cases have been registered against him in Idukki district based on various complaints, he added.
The police have approached the court seeking his custody for further interrogation.
Anandu had been running the fraud since 2022 by registering societies, with women being the primary victims, police said.
After securing his custody, he will be taken to his office in Muvattupuzha for evidence collection and detailed questioning, police sources added.
The police are also examining his bank accounts to track how he utilised the money obtained through the fraud.
Three cars owned by Krishnan have been seized. Meanwhile, more complaints are being filed against him, including in his hometown of Thodupuzha.
So far, 12 cases have been registered at various police stations in Idukki district. The Idukki district police chief has submitted a report to the Ernakulam Range DIG, detailing the complaints, sources said.
Krishnan was arrested last week for operating the scam through the Muvattupuzha Socio-Economic Development Society, where he lured members into depositing money in a consultancy he set up, promising them two-wheelers at half price.
He had created multiple consultancies under his name and conducted transactions through them.
According to the police, he convinced people that he was the National Coordinator of the National NGO Federation and that he had been entrusted with managing the CSR funds of various companies in India.
The police said that the accused set up such societies in every block of the state and collected money through 62 "seed societies".
The police also said that the accused used his political links to convince the victims and the role of certain political leaders was also being investigated in connection with the fraud.
Many companies were not even aware that the accused was carrying out the fraud by promising CSR funds from them, the police added.
They also said that the accused, during an interrogation, admitted that he had not received any CSR funds from any company so far.
Besides several cases of cheating and criminal breach of trust against him in Ernakulam and Idukki districts, a fresh one was registered against Krishnan and six others, including Congress leader Lali Vincent, in the Kannur district for the similar offences.