According to modern law, a crime occurs when two factors come together; Actus Reus, an act of human conduct and Mens Rea, which means a guilty mind. The recent activities of several online charity workers in Kerala matchup to both these factors which mean 'crimes are happening'.
Even though these financial crimes are happening on social media pages before thousands, the Kerala police, known to be the most efficient force in the nation has not taken any step yet to curb the illicit activities of these alleged fraudsters.
The tale of Sushanth Nilambur and charity magic lamp
All the online charity workers in Kerala are popularly known as 'Nanma Maram' (A tree that sheds goodness) among their fans. One of the most prominent charity workers is Sushant Nilambur, a young man who hails from the Nilambur region of the Malappuram district.
Sushant Nilambur initially started his career as a small-time autorickshaw driver in Nilambur town. During these days, he used to share his opinions on social media platforms regarding various controversial topics. It was around three years back that this young man understood the potential of online charity. Soon, he started sharing videos of patients who suffer from chronic diseases including liver failure and kidney failure.
In the past three years, the growth of Sushanth Nilambur was remarkable. Within 36 times span, he started multifarious businesses which include a hotel in Mysore, and a home-based hair oil company. However, when people ask Sushanth about the source of income for his investment, the self-styled charity worker remained tight-lipped, and he hurled abuses against critics who question his activities on social media pages.
In the meantime, Sushanth also bought an Innova for his travelling needs claiming that the vehicle has been gifted by one of his followers. It should be also noted that Sushanth Nilambur is also portraying himself as a supporter of the left democratic front, and he apparently uses this mask to hide his illicit activities.
Prominent YouTuber Ashwanth Kok had recently uploaded a video, and in this clip, he detailed how Sushanth became a multifaceted businessman with operations in different courses.
Firoz Kunnamparambil: The man who started the show
It was Firoz Kunnamparambil, a small-scale mobile shop repairing centre owner who initially started the online charity business in Kerala. The young man from Alathur enjoys a huge fan following on social media platforms, and he has more than one million followers on Facebook.
However, the activities of Firoz and his fellow mate Sajan Kechery came under the scanner when a woman named Varsha filed a police complaint against the duo. According to Varsha, Firoz and Sajan had demanded their share from the amount Varsha got for the liver transplantation surgery of her mother.
In most of his videos, Firoz Kunnamparambil and Sushant Nilambur claim that more than 40 lakh and 50 lakh are needed for liver and kidney transplantation. However, several hospitals recently came forward and made it clear that the amount projected by Firoz on his live videos is a bolstered sum.
In several videos, Firoz himself has revealed that his operations are closely connected to the organ transplantation mafia. In one of his videos, Firoz claimed that huge money should be paid to the donor if he or she is not the patient's blood relation.
Interestingly, Firoz has claimed that he has a revenue of Rs 50,000 a day for attending inaugurations of shops. Even though without disclosing the capital sum, Firoz has allegedly started business ventures in the Middle East that include FK perfumes.
A few months back, Firoz Kunnamparambil gave an interview to 24 News channel, and during the talk, he admitted to having carried out charity business worth Rs 200 crores in the last two years. The charity worker also revealed that he used to collect blank cheques from patients. Justice Kamal Pasha who was there at the event informed Firoz that collecting blank cheques is an offence as per Indian law. Please watch the video below.
The magic of asking the donation twice for a patient
In 2018, Firoz Kunnamparambil uploaded a video on his Facebook page asking for donations for a kidney patient. The video went viral, and Firoz himself revealed that the patient received Rs 19 lakh for surgery. After two months, in 2019, Firoz again gave the patient Rs 5 lakh from the excess donation he received for another patient. And now, a couple of days back, Firoz again posted a video asking for donations for the same patient.
The most interesting fact is that even after receiving 25 lakh a couple of years back, the patient did not undergo kidney transplantation surgery, despite promising the availability of a donor in the video.
It was Charity Investigation Group, a Facebook group that works with the motto 'Charity with Clarity' which exposed the double donation pleading of Firoz Kunnamparambil.
Watch the video below to know more.
The necessity of a police probe
It is still unclear how these charity workers are receiving investment and capital for their business operations. Most of these charity workers allegedly have businesses in the Middle East, and they used to visit these countries multiple times in a month.
It should be noted that these people do not have any job to meet their travel and luxurious lifestyle, and their recent comments also hint at their involvement in the illegal organ transplant mafia. Moreover, these charity workers are also blatantly violating the foreign contribution regulation act (FCRA), as they are not collecting the amount in a Trust account.
