UAE bans Kerala CPI(M) leader’s son from going abroad
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BINOY KODIYERI WAS STOPPED AT THE DUBAI AIRPORT ON SUNDAY NIGHT AND HIS PASSPORT IMPOUNDED AS HE WAS PLANNING TO LEAVE FOR INDIA
The UAE has banned Binoy Kodiyeri, son of Kerala CPI(M) secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, from leaving the emirate where a travel firm has accused him of cheating it of ₹13 crore.
He was stopped at the Dubai International Airport on Sunday night and his passport impounded as he was planning to leave for India, media reports said on Monday. His brother, Bineesh, admitted that Binoy was facing travel restrictions.
“A travel ban has been issued against Binoy in a case registered with the Dubai police and we order to ban the debtor from travel and deposit his passport in court’s safe,” the translated version of the Dubai immigration authority notice said.
In his complaint, Hasan Ismail Abdullah Almarzooqi of Dubai-based JAAS Tourism LLC has alleged that Binoy fled to India after cheating his firm of ₹13 crore. JAAS tried to settle the case through intermediaries a few months ago and his father was also roped in, said the complaint, the details of which emerged only two weeks ago.
Binoy gave three cheques to the firm but they bounced, Almarzooqi alleged. Binoy returned to Dubai a few weeks ago. The claims would be settled soon, Bineesh said, but clarified the amount in question was ₹1.72 crore and not ₹13 crore.
His remarks are at divergence with those of Balakrishnan who had denied that a case was pending against his son in Dubai. “There is no case against him. He will reply to all allegations against him,” he told mediapersons when the reports first came in.
On Monday, Bineesh said it was wrong to drag his father’s name into the controversy. Binoy was “capable enough of settling it”, he said.
The CPI(M) distanced itself from the row, saying it was a personal issue and the party had no role in it. “The case is against Binoy and he has to settle it in Dubai court. We have nothing to do with it,” Politburo member S Ramachandran Pillai said.
The controversy comes at a time when the party is in the middle of organisational polls, emphasising that the cadre and leaders lead an austere life in line with “proletarian values”.
Insiders feel the complaint against Binoy was leaked to media in Delhi by some leaders to embarrass the Kerala unit that had opposed party general secretary Sitaram Yechury’s move to have an alliance with the Congress. Opposition Congress and BJP have sought a detailed probe into the charges against Benoy.