BSNL co-operative society scam: Death of prime accused leaves victims in a fix

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The death of A R Gopinathan, the prime accused in the BSNL Engineers Cooperative Society case, has come as a major setback to victims of the cooperative scam. The 74-year-old, who was under treatment, passed away at his residence in Balaramapuram on Saturday.

The unfinished inquiry had already raised concerns among victims, who now find themselves in a state of uncertainty with large tracts of land in Thiruvananthapuram and many properties in Kollam yet to be seized. The nearly Rs 260-crore scam, affecting more than 1,500 depositors, most if them BSNL pensioners, emerged in 2022.