The ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) has hit out at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after the probe agency named three senior party leaders in its supplementary chargesheet in the Karuvannur co-operative bank fraud case. The case pertains to the alleged fraud in the CPI(M)-controlled Karuvannur Cooperative Bank.

The supplementary chargesheet has named CPI(M) MP and former minister K Radhakrishnan, MLA and former minister AC Moideen and senior leader MM Varghese as the accused. The three leaders were also former Thrissur district secretaries of the party.

In a statement, the CPI(M) said the ED’s move “violated all limits of democratic etiquette”.

“With elections just around the corner, the ED’s move to hunt down the CPI(M)’s top party leaders in the Karuvannur Bank’s irregularities violates all limits of democratic etiquette. They were party district secretaries who tried to bring out the corrupt officials in Karuvannur Bank and save the bank,” the party said.

Kerala, which has 140 Assembly seats, is due to vote in the Assembly polls next year.

“While it is certain that the case against them will be dismissed in court, the names were added to the list of accused to protect the interests of the RSS and insult the party and its leaders,” the CPI(M) said.

Calling the ED’s action “political interests”, the ruling party said the “hasty move also showed the embarrassment and resentment after the state vigilance caught the corruption of the ED officials”.

The party further said it would confront “such false cases politically and legally”.

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