Minister KT Jaleel has been booked for violating the Foreign Contribution Regulatory Act (FERA). UDF convener Benny Behanan MP has lodged a complaint with the Prime Minister against Jaleel.
According to the complaint, the minister himself released the evidence of the FERA violation and confessed after the connection with the accused in the gold smuggling case, Swapna Suresh, came to light. The Minister himself openly admitted that the Consul General had called for a Rs 5 lakh kit sponsored by the UAE Consul General and had paid Rs 1,000 for the kit to Consumerfed. The minister made a deal worth Rs 5 lakh with the UAE Consulate General.
Rule three of the FERA Act prohibits members of the legislature from accepting foreign aid in cash or in kind. Direct transactions with the UAE Consul General are also illegal. The complaint also alleges that the action of the Minister is contrary to Chapter Eighteen of the Protocol Handbook. The complaint alleges that Minister Jaleel’s action violated Section 35 of the FERA Act, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison or a fine, or both.
In a complaint to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UDF convener Benny Behanan demanded that the agency appointed by the central government under Section 43 should investigate the matter and declare an immediate inquiry and bring the minister to justice.
