The Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file a statement on the action taken on a report given by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) indicating the involvement of former Public Works Minister Ebrahim Kunju and others in the Palarivattom flyover corruption case.
The court directed the VACB to file a statement disclosing the actions taken following the suspension of two Vigilance officers in connection with the case.
When the petition seeking a Vigilance probe into the allegation of crediting ₹10 crore during the time of demonetisation into the account of Chandrika, the mouthpiece of Indian Union Muslim League, came up for hearing, Special Prosecutor for VACB A. Rajesh submitted that the Vigilance report on the need for investigation into the role of Mr. Kunju and others had been given to the ED.
The ED had earlier submitted that it could conduct a probe into the money laundering case only when such a case was registered. The court had earlier observed that the official duty of the VACB was confined to corrupt practices, while the ED could conduct a probe into the illegal money transactions under the Money Laundering Act. The court, therefore, had impleaded the ED as a party in the case.
The petition was filed by G. Girish Babu of Kalamassery. According to him, ₹10 crore was deposited by Sameer, a member of the director board of Chandrika daily, at Panjab National Bank, Market branch in Kochi on November 15, 2016. On the same day, several crores of rupees were deposited by Sameer into the daily's account at SBI Kaloor branch. The source of the money had not been disclosed. He alleged that these were benami transactions made on behalf of the former minister.
