The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has sacked N.K. Abdurahiman, the chairman of the party-run Karassery Service Cooperative Bank at Mukkom in Kozhikode, for engaging in “anti-party activities” by hatching a conspiracy with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] to take control of the bank.
A note dated December 2 from KPCC president Sunny Joseph said Mr. Abdurahiman was found to have committed “gross mistakes”.
The KPCC decision follows a proposal from the Kozhikode District Congress Committee (DCC) to take strong action against the cooperative sector veteran. DCC president K. Praveenkumar had alleged that he had “cheated” the party.
The Karassery bank had been under the control of a Congress-led director board for over two decades. It is headquartered in Mukkom and has five branches and two sub-centres in Kozhikode district.
Gross lapses
The bank was taken over by an administrative committee under the Department of Cooperation of the Kerala government on December 1 after an audit report highlighted gross lapses in the disbursement of loans. The incumbent administrative committee controlled by the Congress, which had its tenure till 2027, was disbanded as well.
The Cooperation department also claimed that there had been complaints about the bank’s functioning, which turned out to be true after official inspections.
However, according to local Congress leaders, Mr. Abdurahiman had “created a situation conducive” for the CPI(M) to take over control of the bank. Of its 13 directors, nine were planning to move a no-confidence motion against him, claiming that he had been taking unilateral decisions without consulting the director board. Between November 29 and November 30, over 800 new ‘A’ class members or shareholders were added after illegally using the login ID and password of the staff of the Nellikkaparamba branch. Till November 29, the bank had 770 members. But within a day, the number went up to 1,599 and activists of the United Democratic Front claimed that the newly added members were supporters of the CPI(M).
They also alleged that attempts were being made to take over the bank’s control, similar to what happened with the Chevayur Service Cooperative Bank.
Published – December 03, 2025 02:16 pm IST
