Kerala Home Minister gets threatening letters

Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has been threatened with dire consequences if the government went ahead with its operation 'Kubera', a drive against illegal private money lenders, the Home Minister's office sources said here today.
Home Minister's office here received three letters in this regard a few days ago, the sources said.
The anonymous letters wanted Chennithala not to continue with the operation Kubera and warned that if it was proceeded he would have to face serious consequences, the sources said.
The crackdown on private money lenders was started a month back after a mass suicide of five members of a family due to debt and threat from henchmen of money lenders.

The threat comes in the wake of Chennithals's assertion in the assembly few days back that the government would go ahead with the operation against illegal money lenders till they were rooted out from the state.
As part of the operation, a special police team has been formed to carry out raids and seizure of documents of those indulged in illegal money lending business and charge exorbitant interest interest rate for the loan amount they give.

The sources said along with Kubera, raid against sale of intoxicant products as part of 'clean campus-safe campus' programme might be another reason for the threat letter.

Meanwhile, Chennithala made it clear that government would suppress at any cost the activities of drug mafia.
Speaking at an "anti liquor and anti-drug' campaign here, Chennithala had said drug mafia were behind creating communal tension and fundamental activities in the state.