Kerala BJP Leader Surrenders in Qatar Robbery Case

A significant development has emerged in the robbery case involving the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC), an organisation affiliated with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), in Qatar. Parappil Balakrishnan, a BJP leader from Kerala, surrendered at the Koyilandy police station in Kozhikode district. According to reports, he told the police that he was among a group of four people allegedly involved in breaking open a cash locker at the KMCC office in the Al Thumama area of Qatar in September last year. The stolen amount was reported to be 3.1 million Qatari riyals, equivalent to approximately ₹8 crore. Balakrishnan had contested as a BJP candidate from a division in Koyilandy Municipality in the previous local body elections.

In his statement, Balakrishnan alleged that Shaji Bombay, also known as Shahjahan, had offered him a job in Qatar and arranged his travel. He claimed that after reaching Doha, he was kept at a lodge and later taken to the KMCC office, where he was threatened and forced to break open the locker. He further alleged that Shaji took the cash and later arranged his return ticket to Kerala. Police said a complaint was filed on September 15 this year, following which a case was registered over the robbery and other allegations. Several people, including Balakrishnan, were named in the FIR. A court remanded Balakrishnan to custody, while the other accused were reported to be absconding. The allegations and details in his statement remain subject to investigation.