Kerala’s Vigilance wing submitted a preliminary report against state Congress president K Sudhakaran on a complaint regarding a case of disproportionate assets. The case is regarding a Trust formed in the name of late Congress leader K Karunakaran. The Vigilance submitted its report to the government against the Kannur Member of Parliament after conducting preliminary investigation, vigilance sources said.
It's learnt that the vigilance wing has sought legal advice to probe against Sudhakaran as he is an MP. The preliminary investigation was conducted by Kozhikode vigilance Superintendent of Police on a complaint filed by Sudhakaran's former driver Prasanth Babu.
The KPCC (Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee) president said that he was ready to face any probe by any agency as he was not a tainted politician. "I am not a tainted politician. I am ready to face any probe. Let any investigation agency probe the case. Even I want somebody to probe the matter so that I can prove to the people that I have not done any wrong," Sudhakaran told the media.
He said that Prasanth Babu, his former driver, was employed for a few days as a temporary appointment.
Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly VD Satheesan came out in support of Sudhakaran and said that if the vigilance department was being used as a political tool, then Congress will deal with the matter politically. "Let them probe. We will cooperate. But if they are using vigilance as a political tool against us, we will fight it," Satheesan said.
Prasanth Babu on Saturday alleged that Sudhakaran had indulged in a corruption of Rs 32 crore. As per his complaint, Sudhakaran collected a fund of Rs 32 crore even from abroad for the K Karunakaran Trust but misused Rs 18 crore for personal purposes.
He also alleged that when Sudhakaran was the state forest minister during 2001 to 2004, he went to examine the seizure of sandalwood oil and took away oil worth crores of rupees.
Sudhakaran, who took over as the state party chief recently, has had multiple issues to deal with, as voices of displeasure arose even from within the Congress. Many senior leaders in Congress have allegedly expressed displeasure over his working style.
Sudhakaran is also in a spot for his reported acquaintance with arrested self-styled antique dealer Monson Mavunkal.
(With PTI inputs)