Youth Congress Leader Subin Mathew Accused of Rs 62 Lakh Land Fraud in Chengannur

Pathanamthitta: A complaint has been filed against Subin Mathew, the President of the Youth Congress, Chengannur,Pathanamthitta, accusing him of defrauding a Keralite expatriate of Rs 62,72,415 under the pretext of transferring land. The complaint was lodged by Philip Mathew, a resident of Puthenkavu, Chengannur, alleging that Subin Mathew convinced him to believe that he could facilitate the transfer of land to his wife, Mariamma George, in the Kuravankonam area of Thiruvananthapuram. The fraudulent transactions are said to have been carried out with the assistance of several other congress leaders.

The complaint, filed at Chengannur police station, names Subin Mathew, along with his associates Anish Chandran, a member of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), and Samson, as the main accused. According to the complaint, Philip Mathew was convinced by Subin Mathew that he could change the ownership of the land in his wife’s name, and in doing so, he was deceived into transferring substantial sums of money.

The accused reportedly took Rs 29,32,715 from Philip Mathew’s Federal Bank account at the Arattupuzha branch, through cheque payments and direct transfers. In addition to this amount, the accused reportedly extorted Rs 31,43,350 from Philip Mathew on multiple occasions, through one of Subin Mathew’s associates, Anish Chandran. Samson, another associate, is accused of collecting an additional Rs 1,96,350. In total, the sum of Rs 62,72,415 was allegedly taken under false pretenses.

Philip Mathew's complaint also states that Subin Mathew had demanded a total of Rs 37,500 for securing a ration card for him, along with Rs 18,700 for acquiring a location sketch. Further, Mathew alleges that Subin, Anish, and Samson made additional demands for bribes to facilitate the registration process of the land, including Rs 3.5 lakh for bribes to the Sub-Registrar and Rs 5 lakh for various administrative costs related to the land transaction.

However, upon investigation, Philip Mathew discovered that no official procedures had been taken towards the land transfer, leading him to suspect that he had been swindled. His suspicions were confirmed when his brother, who was visiting from abroad, checked the matter with local authorities and found that no steps had been taken in the process.

Despite filing complaints with the leadership of both the Congress and Youth Congress, Philip Mathew claims that he received no assistance or resolution. Subin Mathew convinced him that the land transfer was a complex process that would require significant financial expenditure, which led to repeated payments from Mathew, amounting to a large sum.

As part of the ongoing investigation, Chengannur police have registered a case against Subin Mathew, Anish Chandran, Samson, and others involved. The case has raised serious concerns about fraudulent activities involving congress leaders and their associates targeting expatriates.