Sat Feb 08 18:30:14 UTC 2025: ## Kerala MLA Denies Involvement in CSR Scam, Claims to be Victim
**Malappuram, Kerala, February 9, 2025** – Najeeb Kanthapuram, MLA of Perinthalmanna, has vehemently denied allegations of involvement in a fake corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund scam. Police registered a case against him on Friday following a complaint from a woman who claimed she paid ₹21,000 for a laptop that she never received.
Kanthapuram, in a statement on Saturday, attributed the allegations to political motivations. He claimed that both he and the Mudra Charitable Foundation (MCF), an NGO operating from his office, were victims of a larger scam perpetrated by the National NGO Confederation, led by Anandu Krishnan. He stated that ₹1.88 crore was swindled from the MCF through false promises of electronics and household goods.
Kanthapuram further alleged that Education Minister V. Sivankutty had previously endorsed the NGO and its leader, Anandu Krishnan, in 2023, urging him to expand its operations. He highlighted that receipts were provided to all stakeholders involved in the transactions. He emphasized his commitment to helping victims recover their lost funds and filed a separate police complaint against the National NGO Confederation.
Following the allegations, the DYFI staged a protest on Friday, vandalizing Kanthapuram’s office. P. Sarin, a recent defector from the Congress party to the CPI(M), was reportedly among the first to publicly accuse the MLA. Kanthapuram contends the government and its intelligence agencies failed to prevent the scam.
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