Kochi | A case for cheating and criminal breach of trust has been lodged against four persons, including a senior BJP leader, here in connection with the half-price or CSR fund scam, police said on Friday.

The scam relates to the alleged cheating of people by falsely promising scooters and laptops at half price using CSR funds.

In the instant case, an FIR under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC was lodged against four persons, including BJP leader A N Radhakrishnan, on a woman's complaint that after taking Rs 63,500 from her she was not provided a scooter as promised.

The money was handed over in May 2024 to the representatives of an NGO, Society For Integrated Growth Of The Nation (SIGN), according to the woman's complaint.

Police said that Radhakrishnan's name was included in the FIR based on the woman's statement that he is allegedly associated with the NGO SIGN.

"However, no money was directly handed over to him or deposited in his account according to our preliminary investigation. A probe has been launched," an officer of Thrikkakara police station said.

Radhakrishnan has not yet commented on the issue and could not be reached over the phone.

There have been several similar complaints across the state in which the main accused are Anandu Krishnan and K N Ananthakumar, chairman of the National NGO Confederation.

According to those complaints, the accused had promised to provide laptops, two-wheelers, and sewing machines to beneficiaries, claiming that half of the cost would be covered by the NGO Confederation and CSR funds, while the other half would be contributed by the recipients.