Investor’s alleged self-immolation sparks off political row in Kozhikode

The alleged self-immolation by a 71-year-old investor outside the house of a former office-bearer of a cooperative society in Vadakara, who is also a local Congress leader, reportedly over non-refunded deposits from the organisation controlled by United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders, has sparked off a war of words between the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the UDF.

While CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan on Saturday (May 30) termed the incident “a murder” which was the manifestation of an institutional fraud operated with Congress support, Kozhikode District Congress Committee president K. Praveenkumar claimed that the society had nothing to do with the party. Sources at the Vadakara police station said that a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita related to unnatural death had been registered. Further procedures would be based on the ongoing investigation into the case, they added.

Ibrahim Haji, a resident of Thiruvallur, allegedly set himself on fire on Friday morning (May 29) after pouring petrol over his body outside the house of T.V. Sudheer Kumar, a former Congress district general secretary and former president of the society. Though Haji was rushed first to the Government District Hospital and later to the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, he succumbed to the burns in the night.

It has been reported that though Haji had invested ₹22 lakh in the Kadathanad Labour Contract Cooperative Society between July 2021 and June 2023, his request to withdraw the money was not accepted.

A police case was registered based on his complaint against Mr. Kumar, Basheer Ahammed, incumbent president, and its other functionaries earlier this year. Haji had been reportedly visiting the office of the society and the houses of Mr. Sudheer Kumar and others, seeking repayment of the amount. He had reached Mr. Sudheer Kumar’s house on Friday with the same demand.

Society functionaries, however, told the media that Ibrahim Haji had deposited only ₹6 lakh with the society and that he had been given a cheque for the amount already. When Haji presented the cheque in the bank, it bounced, reportedly due to lack of funds in the society’s bank account. A case was also filed against the society related to this. The society functionaries claimed that they had promised to repay him the amount once the pending payments from the government for some works undertaken by the society were cleared.

It has also been reported that, though Haji had sought repayment of the amounts deposited in the name of some of his relatives, the request was turned down.

Meanwhile, Mr. Praveenkumar said that Mr. Sudheer Kumar had been suspended from the Congress for bringing disrepute to the organisation. He said the Congress had no control over society, though some of its leaders were part of it. Mr. Govindan visited Haji’s house, spoke to his family members, and sought action against UDF leaders who are part of the society. Praful Krishnan, BJP North district president, said Ibrahim Haji had sent him a voice clip implicating the society’s functionaries.