Crime Branch SPs to look after ‘CSR funds’ scam cases as SIT goes headless

The investigation into the cases registered in various parts of Kerala over the alleged CSR funds scam will now be led by respective superintendents of the district Crime Branch wings, with the government not replacing a senior police officer who was transferred while heading the special investigation team (SIT) probing the cases.

The SIT has been remaining headless since June after M.J. Sojan, who was then SP, Central Unit-II, Crime Branch, Ernakulam, was transferred and posted as SP, Special Cell, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Ernakulam. Mr. Sojan was assigned to head the 80-member team probing the scam in which scores of people were allegedly cheated by falsely promising scooters and laptops at half price using fake CSR funds. The police had managed to arrest Ananthu Krishnan, the prime accused, and second accused K.N. Ananda Kumar, who is the co-founder of the Sri Sathya Sai Orphanage Trust, as a flood of complaints allegedly revealed their role in the scam. The duo has since been remanded.

Though the government’s reported stand that there was no need to appoint a new head to the SIT has raised concerns among the victims about the fate of a coordinated investigation, police sources involved in the matter said the worries were out of place. “Major procedures in the investigation have already been completed. The cases will now be looked after by respective Crime Branch SPs. Other members of the SIT are still part of the team. There has been no communication as to dissolving the SIT,” a police officer claimed.

The police had registered 1,343 cases related to the scam till March 12, 2025, as per a reply given by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the Kerala Assembly on March 17. He said that the accused had collected ₹281.43 crore from 49,386 people, promising to provide them with two two-wheelers at half the cost. Out of them, two-wheelers were provided only to 16,438 people.

Additionally, out of the 36,891 people from whom the accused had collected ₹9.22 crore, promising them laptops at half price, it was provided only to 29,897 people. Similarly, out of the 56,082 persons from whom ₹23.24 crore was collected for a similar scheme for sewing machines, it was provided only to 53,478 persons, the Chief Minister said.

In his assembly reply, the Chief Minister said the accused had gained the trust of the public by posting photographs of them with well-known personalities. They had also appointed coordinators and field staff in various regions across Kerala. In the first phase, all the women who joined the scheme got scooters at half price, which led many people to trust the scheme and join it. However, those who joined later failed to get anything even after paying the money, following which complaints were filed.