Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 4 : Nearly a year after the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau submitted its report, the Kerala government has initiated steps to act on a recommendation seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe against V.D. Satheesan, the leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly.
The move comes at a time when the state is inching closer to the next Assembly elections, triggering sharp political reactions.
The recommendation pertains to alleged irregularities in receiving foreign funds for the ‘Punarjani’ rehabilitation project implemented in his Paravur Assembly constituency following the devastating 2018 floods.
The Vigilance report had suggested that while no prima facie case was made out to register a case, the issue of foreign fund mobilisation and its utilisation could be examined by the CBI.
The Vigilance inquiry into the matter was formally announced in June 2023, after controversy erupted over fundraising activities in the United States linked to a regional meet of the government-organised Loka Kerala Sabha.
The probe was cleared just days before Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was scheduled to travel abroad. Allegations centred on possible violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and unauthorised overseas fundraising.
Though the Vigilance Bureau failed to detect concrete irregularities during its preliminary examination, the then Vigilance Director Yogesh Gupta, in a report, recommended that the CBI could investigate whether the foreign funds collected were misused.
He also pointed out that there was no material to proceed with a Vigilance case but flagged the need for an independent central agency to look into the foreign transactions.
The report further suggested examining whether Satheesan had travelled abroad without the requisite permissions.
This timing has invited criticism from the opposition, which views the move as politically motivated, as the Assembly elections are fast approaching.
It may be recalled that a complaint against Satheesan was first received in 2020, though a formal Vigilance inquiry began only in 2023. During the final phase of the first Pinarayi Vijayan government, when the issue was raised in the Assembly, Satheesan had publicly challenged the government to order a Vigilance probe.
Under the ‘Punarjani’ project, around 280 flood-affected families in Paravur were provided new houses, of which 37 were constructed through sponsorship from expatriate Malayalis.
Satheesan had sought support during visits to Dubai and the UK. The complaint alleging illegal foreign fundraising was filed by Jason Panikulam, an office-bearer of the Chalakudy-based Catholic Action Council.
–IANS
