Cleared in UAE cheque bounce case, Thushar Vellapally arrives

Thushar Vellapally, President of BDJS, a coalition partner of the BJP-led NDA in Kerala, arrived here Sunday, a week after he was cleared of all charges by a UAE Court in connection with a cheque bounce case.

Vellapally, who is also Vice President of SNDP Yogam, an outfit of Kerala's numerically strong Hindu Eazhava community, was arrested last month in the UAE in connection with the Rs 19 crore cheque bounce case.

He was cleared of all charges in the case by the UAE court a week ago.

The arrest was based on a complaint from N Abdullah, a Thrissur native, who had worked for Vellapally-owned Boeing Construction Company LLC, that is now defunct.

Hundreds of activists of SNDP Yogam and BDJS gathered outside the Cochin International Airport on Sunday morning to welcome Vellapally.

BJP leaders including P K Krishnadas also reached the airport to receive him.

Later, talking to reporters, Vellapally dismissed BJP state President P S Sreedharan Pillai's allegations that the BDJS leader was a victim of conspiracy by Kerala's ruling CPI(M) and said he had received help from all political parties in connection with the case.

Vellapally urged Abdulla to publicly apologise to him for trying to implicate him in a fake case.

He said he would initiate legal action against Abdulla if he failed to tender an apology.

In his complaint, Abdulla had alleged that Vellapally had issued a cheque of Dh 10 million (around Rs 19 crore) 10 years ago, that had bounced.

He was arrested on August 20 at a hotel in Ajman in connection with Rs 19 crore cheque default case.

Quashing the criminal proceedings against him citing lack of evidence, the UAE court had said the evidence submitted by the complainant in the case lacks credibility.

Vellapally, son of SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan, had unsuccessfully contested as the NDA candidate against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 general elections from Wayanad.