Date:09/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/09/stories/2008090953990300.htm

Kerala - Kochi

‘Parallel economy building up’

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: A parallel economic system is building up in the State as it is coming into the grip of illegal money launderers that includes hawala money and other fraudulent money-making methods, said A.N. Radhakrishnan, State secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The recent criminal case against a 20-year old, Sabarinath, in the State capital with respect to the huge illegal financial transaction and the Santhosh Madhavan case that had recently been the most discussed media event for some time indicate the involvement of people close to those in the government, said Mr. Radhakrishnan.

The BJP demands that a Central agency take up the investigation, he said, as the State police intelligence had done nothing to uncover such a fraud.

It was the combined efforts of the people and the media that such things come out in the open.

The State government has till now made no effort to help unravel these cases that involve such huge illegal money transactions, he said. Rather, there have only been efforts to subvert the case.