The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached assets valued at around Rs 1.44 crore related to the misappropriation of funds from the United Nurses Association (UNA) in Kerala. This action was carried out by the ED’s Cochin Zonal Office on March 9 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The case involves Jasminsha M, the former national/international president of the United Nurses Association.
The ED’s investigation was initiated based on an FIR filed by the Crime Branch Police Station in Thrissur under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Subsequently, a charge sheet was submitted to the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Thrissur against Jasminsha, his wife Shabna M.A., and several other association office-bearers, including Shoby Joseph, Nidhin Mohan, Jithu P.D., Sujanapal A.K., Bibin N. Paul, and Sudheep M.V.
Allegations against them include criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and destruction of evidence. The investigation revealed that Jasminsha, during his tenure as the national president of the United Nurses Association in Thrissur from 2017 to 2019, colluded with his wife and other office-bearers to misappropriate membership fees and organization funds.
According to the ED, funds were illicitly diverted through cash withdrawals, transfers between accounts, and channeling money into personal bank accounts, violating the association’s regulations. The misused funds were allegedly used for personal expenses such as vehicle EMIs, apartment payments, and other personal outlays. Fabricated meeting minutes were also created to disguise the transactions as legitimate organizational expenses.
The ED has identified proceeds of crime totaling approximately Rs 1.44 crore. As a significant portion of the funds was either withdrawn in cash, funneled through intermediaries, concealed, or already spent, the agency has provisionally attached assets of equivalent value. These assets include five immovable properties and four fixed deposits or movable assets in the names of Jasminsha, Shabna M.A., Bibin N. Paul, and Shoby Joseph, encompassing land parcels, a residential flat, and fixed deposits across various districts.
Further investigation into the case is currently ongoing.
