Three booked on cheating charge

The Kothamangalam police on Monday (February 2, 2026) registered a case against three people, including two local BJP leaders, for allegedly cheating a 58-year-old man of nearly ₹10 lakh on the promise of settling police cases registered against his son in Bengaluru.

The accused are Unnikrishnan Thrikkariyoor, Suneesh T.S., and Sanal, a native of Kumily in Idukki. The first information report (FIR) identifies Unnikrishnan as the general secretary and Suneesh as secretary of BJP’s Kothamangalam mandalam committee. The case was registered based on a complaint filed by George Mathai of Chelad. According to the FIR, the accused allegedly received a sum of ₹9,74,000 from the complainant in various instalments, both directly and through bank transfer, between June 15, 2025, and November 19, 2025.

The accused have been charged with cheating and criminal breach of trust. Mr. George, along with his close relatives, staged a protest in front of the BJP office in Kothamangalam on Monday demanding that the accused pay him back the money.

Responding to the incident, BJP (Ernakulam East) president P.P. Sajeev said Unnikrishnan was framed in the case. “Suneesh was removed from the party post even before the allegation was raised earlier,” he added.