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Land for relative: Vigilance wants VS named as accused
In a development with serious ramifications for Kerala politics, the Vigilance has recommended naming of Opposition leader and octogenarian Marxist VS Achuthanandan, the face of the State’s anti-corruption crusade, as an accused in a case related to alleged nepotism in allotting Government land to a relative when he was chief minister of the former LDF Government.
The Vigilance, which wants case to be initiated against Achuthanandan under the Prevention of Corruption Act and relevant sections of the IPC, has also recommended inclusion of seven others as accused, including former Revenue minister KP Rajendran of the CPI, four IAS officials, recipient of land and his relative TK Soman and a member of his personal staff.
Probe officer Habeeb Rehman, Superintendent of Police (Vigilance), Kozhikode, has already submitted his report recommending action against Achuthanandan and others to the Vigilance Director. Rehman has reportedly claimed that there are solid evidences against Achuthanandan and others.
If the Vigilance Director is convinced of the proofs the investigating officer had provided him with and if the Government gives the go-ahead, a case would be registered against the former chief minister opening a new chapter in the history of Kerala’s political corruption and the fight against it. It could also land the CPI(M) and Achuthanandan himself in a lot of trouble.
The others in the Vigilance’s list include Sheila Thomas, principal secretary to Achuthanandan when he was the CM, former Land Revenue Commissioner KR Muralee dharan and Anand Singh and Krishnan Kutty, former district collectors, Kasaragod where Soman was allotted 2.33 acres of land towards the fag-end of the tenure of the former LDF Government.
The allegation pertained to the allotment of 2.33 acres of land in Kasaragod district to the former chief minister’s relative Soman, an ex-serviceman hailing from Alappuzha district. The Vigilance probe was launched on the basis of an inquiry report submitted by the District Collector of Kasaragod.
After the Congress-led UDF Cabinet decided to hold a Vigilance probe into the matter, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had claimed that Soman was allotted land in violation of Government rules including those pertaining to transfer of property. As per rules, only an acre of land could be allotted to an ex-serviceman while Soman was given 2.33 acres.
Land allotted to ex-servicemen could not be transferred or sold for 25 years from the date of allotment as per rules but the former LDF Government had allotted this particular land to the relative of Achuthanandan with sales rights.
The land was assigned to Soman in 1977 when AK Antony was the Chief Minister. However, Soman had not taken possession of the land by paying the nominal price payable under land assignment rules.
In a development with serious ramifications for Kerala politics, the Vigilance has recommended naming of Opposition leader and octogenarian Marxist VS Achuthanandan, the face of the State’s anti-corruption crusade, as an accused in a case related to alleged nepotism in allotting Government land to a relative when he was chief minister of the former LDF Government.
The Vigilance, which wants case to be initiated against Achuthanandan under the Prevention of Corruption Act and relevant sections of the IPC, has also recommended inclusion of seven others as accused, including former Revenue minister KP Rajendran of the CPI, four IAS officials, recipient of land and his relative TK Soman and a member of his personal staff.
Probe officer Habeeb Rehman, Superintendent of Police (Vigilance), Kozhikode, has already submitted his report recommending action against Achuthanandan and others to the Vigilance Director. Rehman has reportedly claimed that there are solid evidences against Achuthanandan and others.
If the Vigilance Director is convinced of the proofs the investigating officer had provided him with and if the Government gives the go-ahead, a case would be registered against the former chief minister opening a new chapter in the history of Kerala’s political corruption and the fight against it. It could also land the CPI(M) and Achuthanandan himself in a lot of trouble.
The others in the Vigilance’s list include Sheila Thomas, principal secretary to Achuthanandan when he was the CM, former Land Revenue Commissioner KR Muralee dharan and Anand Singh and Krishnan Kutty, former district collectors, Kasaragod where Soman was allotted 2.33 acres of land towards the fag-end of the tenure of the former LDF Government.
The allegation pertained to the allotment of 2.33 acres of land in Kasaragod district to the former chief minister’s relative Soman, an ex-serviceman hailing from Alappuzha district. The Vigilance probe was launched on the basis of an inquiry report submitted by the District Collector of Kasaragod.
After the Congress-led UDF Cabinet decided to hold a Vigilance probe into the matter, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had claimed that Soman was allotted land in violation of Government rules including those pertaining to transfer of property. As per rules, only an acre of land could be allotted to an ex-serviceman while Soman was given 2.33 acres.
Land allotted to ex-servicemen could not be transferred or sold for 25 years from the date of allotment as per rules but the former LDF Government had allotted this particular land to the relative of Achuthanandan with sales rights.
The land was assigned to Soman in 1977 when AK Antony was the Chief Minister. However, Soman had not taken possession of the land by paying the nominal price payable under land assignment rules.
