The Enforcement Directorate has started a preliminary investigation against Keralite business tycoon Boby Chemmanur. The controversial magnate accepted investments from several persons and used them for business purposes. ED is investigating whether Chemmanur accepted black money, transferred it to other businesses and laundered the funds.
Chemmanur likes to call himself Boche (slang used by the Allies for the Nazis during WWI). He has an enormous fan base in Kerala and allegedly uses his wealth to pay for and maintain his fan clubs. Asianet News jumped to his rescue and claimed that ED had not registered a case and it was just a preliminary investigation.
ED had received many complaints against Chemmanur and his suspicious financial dealings. The source of his transactions worth thousands of crores is being investigated. Chemmanur’s business grew dubiously fast, and he now owns multi-crores in assets. He started in the gold jewellery business before branching into financing, real estate, e-commerce, supermarkets and even the meat business.
ED officers questioned Chemmanur. ED is probing his properties in Bharat and abroad. They are investigating whether Chemmanur violated the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). It is indicated that a lottery business under the guise of tea powder is also being examined. It is also suspected that crores of black money was transacted through his e-commerce business.
Chemmannur had previously invested in gold and accepted cash deposits from the public for the same. Such dealings are a violation of the law. A jeweller has no authority to take such deposits and act as a bank.
Whenever such complaints arose, self-proclaimed hero Boche mocked the complainants. The local media would forget their duty and ignore such news. It happened when people who invested money in Chemmanur’s jewellery did not get their money back. Back then, Chemmanur mocked the victims and released objectionable videos.
Now, when the ED investigation is ongoing, it is known that thousands and crores of transactions in Chemmannur’s Oxygen City project will also be investigated. A colossal move was made for Oxygen City in Thrissur. The plan was to have a massive residential complex with public investments. It didn’t work out as anticipated.
Chemmanur claimed he would build his oxygen city and an economic zone without submitting a plan. It was planned on a massive mountain from which even the soil could not be removed. Private lands are never allotted in an economic zone. It is hinted that Chemmanur spent around 30 crores on advertisements and used images to earn 6,000 crores of rupees illicitly. The status of depositors remains unclear.
A video of Chemmanur sulking in front of a lady he allegedly constantly raped is still available online. The victim is heard crying after Chemmanur physically abused her in a hotel room. The lady speaks about abortions and surgeries, while Chemmanur admits he is a womaniser. It is also a mystery what action the police took in this young woman’s sting operation case. Her fate remains unknown.
Chemmanur’s supporters justified his crimes, claiming they were ten years old. Does that change the intensity of a crime like rape? His daughter married in 2021.
It is also alleged that hundreds of acres were occupied in Wayanad and converted into resorts and plantations. Chemmanur was Wayanad’s chief participant (sponsor) in the Chief Minister’s Nava Kerala Yatra (a travelling circus). Chemmanur has a great relationship with Pinarayi Vijayan. Maybe that relationship gave him some protection and excitement, but now the ED probe is a shackle.
Chemmanur also runs an illegal lottery business. Buyers receive a lottery if you buy their Boche tea. There is an allegation that massive money laundering is going on under the guise of lottery. Kerala Lottery has also come forward against the lottery transaction. The state government has a monopoly over this social evil.
The Lottery Department has clarified that the Boche Tea draw is a private lottery business. Kerala Lottery Director filed a complaint with the police. In this case, two FIRs are pending against Chemmanur in Pathanamthitta and Wayanad.
Kerala police have not arrested him in this case. Despite being a non-bailable crime, Chemmanur allegedly escaped arrest due to his friendship and closeness with the Home Minister. Vijayan handles Kerala’s home department.
Asianet News argued that the ED usually proceeds with a case only if some other agency registers it first. They falsely claimed that no case had been registered against Chemmannur. Like many other instances, the Asianet group lied (Kerala police’s lottery case against Chemmanur).
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, BJP’s former Minister of State for the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Jal Shakti, owns Asianet. The only reason Rajeev lost the Lok Sabha election from Thiruvananthapuram is his Asianet channel, which constantly vilified the BJP. Rajeev lost the seat by 16,000 votes to Shashi Tharoor. Rajeev was not offered a ministerial position in the new coalition formed under the National Democratic Alliance.
Chemmanur told reporters that it was the ordinary ED course of action and that he answered everything they asked correctly. He claimed he had presented his accounts and had no problems with them. Chemmanur speculated that his file would be closed this month.
The controversial ‘hero’ has made many fans for himself. Chemmanur has an array of Public Relations officers who engage in planned publicity campaigns. Experts estimate he spends 11 crore rupees monthly on advertisements and is the media’s blue-eyed boy. That amount goes up whenever a new controversy erupts. Chemmanur’s ads featured footballer Diego Maradona until the controversial narcotic, drug-addicted Argentinian captain died.
