Congress Leader Laly Vincent Granted Anticipatory Bail in ₹1,000 Crore CSR Scam Case in Kerala

Kochi, Feb 24 (NationPress) The Kerala High Court has granted anticipatory bail to Congress leader and attorney Laly Vincent, who faces allegations in a Rs 1,000 crore CSR scam.

Currently, the prime suspect, 28-year-old Ananthu Krishnan, remains in judicial custody since last month. Vincent was named among the accused in a fraud case initiated by an individual who suffered financial losses due to the notorious CSR fraud.

A total of 47 lakhs was traced to her bank account from Krishnan. Following her identification as an accused and the discovery of the substantial transfer, the Congress leader claimed she served as legal counsel for Krishnan and that the transferred funds represented her professional fees.

While granting her bail, the High Court remarked, “When a lawyer states that it is my professional fees, can I assert that it is not professional fees?”

The fraudulent CSR scheme was orchestrated by Krishnan, who allegedly enticed victims with promises of high-value items such as scooters, laptops, and sewing machines at half their market prices.

Many unsuspecting individuals claimed that Krishnan's aggressive marketing strategies persuaded them to invest their savings in what seemed like a lucrative offer.

The High Court has mandated the Congress leader to report to the investigating officer within a fortnight for further inquiry into the case.

“It cannot be asserted that the petitioner is implicated in the allegations made by the prosecution. However, I will refrain from commenting further. This is a matter for the investigating officer to examine. Currently, the allegation is that a sum of Rs 47,74,500 has been credited to the petitioner’s account. The petitioner maintains that this is a professional fee. Therefore, at this point, I cannot definitively conclude that the petitioner is involved in the case, but I emphasize that the investigating officer is at liberty to probe in accordance with the law. My remarks are solely for the purpose of adjudicating the bail application, and the investigating officer can examine the matter freely,” the court noted.

The High Court also highlighted that numerous bail applications from individuals implicated in the CSR fraud have been submitted across various districts in the state, and therefore, it will issue a unified directive requiring these individuals to appear before the investigating officer within two weeks for questioning.

Furthermore, the court indicated that the investigating officer, after conducting interviews, may record arrests if deemed necessary, ensuring that these individuals are presented before the Magistrate Court on the same day. However, this directive will not apply to the primary suspect in the CSR fraud case.

The Kerala Police's Crime Branch is actively investigating the matter and has filed over 500 cheating cases. Last week, the Enforcement Directorate executed searches at several locations throughout the state in connection with the same investigation.