Qatar ₹8 Crore Robbery Case: BJP Leader in Kerala Surrenders a Year After Alleged KMCC Heist

A local BJP leader from Kozhikode has surrendered to police nearly a year after an alleged robbery at the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC) office in Qatar, where 31 lakh Qatari riyals — equivalent to around ₹8 crore — were reportedly stolen from a cash locker.

Parappil Balakrishnan, a welder who contested last year’s local body elections as a BJP candidate in Koilandy municipality, walked into Koilandy police station on Wednesday and claimed he was among four men who travelled from Kerala to Doha to carry out the robbery. He alleged that he had been lured to Qatar with a job offer and forced to break open the locker.

Police said the robbery took place in September last year, but the complaint was filed only on September 15 this year. An FIR was subsequently registered against multiple people for robbery and common intention.

Six Named in FIR; Five Others Accused

Besides Balakrishnan, the FIR names Rashi, Salih, Bombay Shaji, Kamarudheen and Hassan as accused. A local court remanded Balakrishnan to judicial custody, while the other accused remain on the run, according to police.

A police officer said Balakrishnan had allegedly been taken to Qatar for the operation. Investigators said they would be able to establish more details after questioning the other accused.

Bombay Shaji has moved a local court seeking anticipatory bail, and police have filed an objection to the application.

Although the alleged robbery occurred in Qatar, police said a case could be registered in Kerala because the accused had returned to the state after the incident.

BJP Leader Claims He Was Forced to Break Open Locker

In a video recorded before his arrest and circulated afterwards, Balakrishnan claimed he had not known about the robbery plan when he travelled to Doha. He alleged that Shaji Bombay, also known as Shajahan, had promised him a job at the home of an Arab national.

According to Balakrishnan, Shaji and another person identified as Bava took him to a lodge after he arrived in Doha, where he was allegedly prevented from moving around freely. He claimed they would take him out by car and bring him back.

Balakrishnan alleged that one morning he was taken to the KMCC office, threatened and forced to break open the locker. He claimed Shaji took the money after the locker was opened, while a person identified as Kamuru gave instructions.

He further alleged that Shaji arranged his return ticket to Kerala and that he landed at Kozhikode airport. Balakrishnan said he had been cheated and feared for his life, adding that he should not be released on bail.

These claims have not been independently established, and police said further questioning was necessary to clarify the roles of those named in the case.

Audio Clip Claims ₹25 Crore Was Looted

The case took another turn after a second audio clip, purportedly recording a conversation between Shaji and Kamaru, circulated on social media.

In the clip, a voice attributed to Shaji allegedly demands his share of money said to have been taken from Qatar. The conversation refers to ₹25 crore — substantially more than the ₹8 crore cited in the FIR.

The speaker allegedly says the money had been sent to Kerala and claims to have given ₹25 crore to the other person. He also refers to the effort he and Balakrishnan had put into the operation and demands his share, while claiming he had not known the money belonged to the KMCC.

The authenticity of the audio and the amount mentioned in it have not been independently verified. The discrepancy between the figure in the FIR and the sum cited in the clip remains a key question in the case.

KMCC Facing Questions Over Handling of Stolen Funds

The alleged robbery had triggered controversy within the Qatar unit of the KMCC, the welfare wing of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which is an ally of Kerala’s ruling United Democratic Front.

The money was reportedly kept at the KMCC office for its Sneha Suraksha scheme. Members of the organisation questioned its leadership over the handling of the theft, alleging that it had failed to adequately explain the incident, disclose the amount stolen or take sufficient steps to identify those responsible.

The FIR was registered following a complaint by Abdul Rahim P K, vice-president of the KMCC Qatar unit and a resident of Thalassery in Kerala’s Kannur district.

The surrender has brought renewed attention to the year-old case, but investigators are yet to establish the full sequence of events, the amount allegedly stolen and the roles of all those named in the FIR.