Kodakara Hawala case; Legal advice sought for further investigation, Tirur Sateesh's statement will be recorded

KOCHI: The Investigating Officer of the Kodakara Hawala case and DySP V K Raju recently met with the Director General of Prosecution (DGP) at the DGP's office in the High Court. The meeting aimed to secure legal guidance for advancing the investigation, specifically concerning potential new evidence and the need to record statements from additional key witnesses.

One such witness, Thirur Satheesh, is expected to provide a critical statement that may shed further light on the hawala transactions linked to the case. According to sources, legal advice was received affirming the validity of proceeding with the investigation based on Satheesh’s statement, which the police intend to record following a scheduled meeting of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Thrissur.

Meanwhile, additional details have emerged regarding an intermediary’s statement, which alleged that hawala funds were funnelled to BJP representatives at various locations across the state during the last assembly elections. In response, the DGP’s office was consulted on the legal approach for probing potential connections between these financial transfers and the robbery case at the centre of the investigation.

With a final report already submitted in the Kodakara case, any further investigative actions will require approval from the court. The JFM is set to apply to further investigation based on recent developments, including Satheesh's disclosure that more substantial sums may have been involved in the hawala network. Authorities are currently evaluating the best approach for further inquiries to avoid potential legal challenges should the investigation expand to include these newly revealed aspects.