The Vigilance department on Saturday conducted raids on the houses of former Kerala Excise minister K Babu and his kin. K Babu is accused of taking bribes in the bar bribery scam.

This comes as a decisive move by the Pinarayi government, which has just completed 100 days in power.

The raids were conducted on the basis of a case that was filed on an FIR registered against Babu at the Vigilance court in Moovattupuzha, for owning disproportionate assets.

As per reports, the raids are happening at K Babu’s house in Tripunithura and his daughters’ houses in Kochi and Thoduppuzha respectively.

Some reports suggest that raids have also happened at the houses of his friends, who are suspected to be his benamis.

Babu had resigned as excise minister on January 23 this year in the wake of a Vigilance court that directed filing of an FIR against him in the bar bribery case, on the allegation by hotelier Biju Ramesh that he had accepted Rs 10 crore as bribe for renewal of licences of bars.

He had made a return to the Oommen Chandy cabinet on February 1 after the Kerala High Court stayed the order.