P. K. Kunhalikutty

Pandikkadavath Kunhalikutty is an Indian politician, social worker, agriculturalist, enterpreneur and businessman who serves as the Minister for Industries & Information Technology in the Government of Kerala. He is a Member of Legislative Assembly from Malappuram Assembly Constituency. He also serves as National General Secretary of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).

Kunhalikutty was born at Oorakam in Malabar district, Madras State in 1951. He entered public life through students and college union politics and served as Chairman of Malappuram Municipality at the age of 29 in 1980. He was elected to the Kerala state Legislative Assembly for the first time from the Malappuram Constituency in 1982. He is known for his deep 'bonding' to United Democratic Front, the decades-old Congress-led pre-poll alliance in Kerala.

Background and career P. K. Kunhalikutty was born on 1 June 1951 at Oorakam, Melmuri in present-day Malappuram District as the son of Pandikkadavath Mohamed Haji and K. P. Fathima Kutty. He completed his secondary education from G. V. H. S. S. Vengara. He has an under-graduate degree in commerce from Sir Syed College, Taliparamba. He was also educated at Farook College, Kozhikode.

The chairman of Koyenco Group, P. P. Koya, is brother-in-law of P. K. Kunhalikutty.

Political career Kunhalikutty is also the National General Secretary of Indian Union Muslim League, (IUML). Rise of Kunhalikutty in Indian Union Muslim League after the 1980 victory was later described by the media as "meteoric". and served as Minister for the remarkable IT Project Akshaya project in 2002.

Member of Parliament Kunhalikutty got elected as Member of Parliament from Malappuram Parliamentary Constituency in 2017 in a by-election. The election was a result of the death of former Minister of State for External Affairs and senior IUML leader E. Ahamed. Kunhalikutty won from all the seven Assembly constituencies of the Parliament Constituency. He was re-elected to Malappuram during the 2019 general elections. He is currently a Member of Legislative Assembly from Vengara Assembly Constituency.thumb P. K. Kunhalikutty (third from right) with the then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh at the 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (2013) in Kochi

Controversies P. K. Kunhalikutty experienced electoral defeat only in 2006 Kerala state assembly elections due to his involvement in the 1997 Ice cream parlour sex scandal. A closure report in the case was filed in the trial court later by the Special Investigation Team. There were severe allegations levelled in relation to this case including death of two girls in Kozhikode. The Supreme Court of India had in 2016 dismissed a petition from the opposition communists seeking a federal probe into the case.

There were allegations in relation to 2020 Kerala gold smuggling case that one of the key accused, K.T. Ramees is a relative of P.K. Kunhalikutty.

In 2018, he skipped a Lok Sabha session for attending a marriage in Dubai when parliamentary proceedings over Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2018 were taking place. He was heavily criticised for his behaviour as the bill was about the criminalisation of triple talaq in India.

In 2011, there was plea before Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau Court, Thrissur made by Andul Aziz from National Secular Conference to undertake a probe into wealth amassed by P.K. Kunhalikutty and his relatives. The plea had mention about investments made into Seashore Rolling Engineering Company owned by son of P.K. Kunhalikutty. The plea was dismissed by the VACB court due to inadequate evidences to support the claim.