A Kerala BJP leader has surrendered before police in Kozhikode, nearly a year after 31 lakh Qatari riyals, about Rs 8.08 crore, were stolen from the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC) office in Doha.
Parappil Balakrishnan, 60, a welder from Koyilandy, surrendered on Wednesday, October 21. A local court remanded him to judicial custody. He had contested last year’s local body elections as a BJP candidate.
The robbery took place on September 18, 2025. According to police, four men were flown from Kerala to Qatar to carry it out, while two others allegedly helped arrange accommodation and plan the crime. The gang is alleged to have tied up a staff member and used a gas cutter to break open the strong room before escaping with the cash.
In a video recorded before his surrender, Balakrishnan said he had no idea about the planned robbery when he travelled to Qatar. He alleged that a man identified as Shaji, also known as Bombay Shaji, had offered him a welding job there. After he reached Doha, he claimed, he was taken to the KMCC office and threatened into using a gas cutter on the locker. He alleged that Shaji took the money while another person, named Kamaru, directed the operation. According to Balakrishnan, he received Rs 50,000 in Qatar and another Rs 1.5 lakh after returning to Kerala, though he had been promised a larger payment. None of these claims has been tested in court.
An audio clip that purportedly features Shaji and Kamaru discussing the stolen money has also been circulating on social media. One speaker demands his share and mentions Rs 25 crore, far more than the amount in the police case. The authenticity of the recording has not been established. Shaji has reportedly applied for anticipatory bail at a local court, and police are examining the evidence available to them.
Koyilandy police registered the case after a complaint on September 15, 2026, from P K Abdul Rahim, vice-president of the KMCC’s Qatar unit. The gap of almost a year before the theft was reported has drawn criticism of how the organisation dealt with the incident.
The money reportedly belonged to Sneha Suraksha, a welfare scheme that supports Malayali expatriates in Qatar. The KMCC is a cultural and social welfare organisation associated with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key ally of the Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala.
IUML state general secretary P M A Salam said on Friday that the party would act against any KMCC member found to be involved. He said the League would also work to ensure “exemplary punishment”.
He rejected allegations that the organisation had failed to act, saying the party had supported the complainant in going to the police and registering the case.
Salam added that the IUML could not begin disciplinary action against Balakrishnan, since he is a member of the BJP. The BJP’s local leadership has called for a thorough investigation.
