Kollam (Kerala) | The SNDP Protection Council on Saturday demanded the resignation of Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan, claiming that a charge sheet would soon be filed against him in a case related to the alleged misappropriation of funds under a microfinance scheme.

The Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam is a prominent organisation representing the numerically strong Ezhava community in Kerala.

The SNDP Protection Council comprises people critical of Natesan's leadership.

Addressing a press conference here, Protection Council chairman S Chandrasenan claimed that the Vigilance department has approved an investigation team to file a charge sheet against Natesan in the microfinance case.

"With sufficient evidence regarding corruption and the alleged looting of SNDP Yogam funds, the Vigilance team has prepared a charge sheet and obtained permission to file it at court. Under these circumstances, Natesan should resign from the post of general secretary," Chandrasenan said.

He claimed that since the formation of the SNDP Yogam in 1903, no office-bearer of the organisation had faced a charge sheet in a criminal case.

Chandrasenan also questioned the decision to confer the Padma Bhushan on Natesan.

"What are the qualifications of a person who is to receive the Padma Bhushan from the President of India? His qualification is that he is involved in multiple cheating cases. We are forced to question whether the award was obtained by paying money," he alleged.

The case relates to the alleged misappropriation of loans worth Rs 15.85 crore disbursed through the SNDP Yogam under a government-backed microfinance scheme intended to support backward communities in Kerala between 2003 and 2014.

On Friday, the Kerala High Court directed the investigating team to complete the probe and file a charge sheet within three weeks.