THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has allowed the VACB to conduct a preliminary inquiry against Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala on the allegation of corruption in allotting prison department’s land to a private trust during his tenure as home minister in the previous UDF government.
The VACB has assigned its special investigation unit-I with the preliminary inquiry.
The inquiry has been ordered on the basis of a letter received by the VACB. The complaint said there was corruption in the incident in which 2.5 acre land of Nettukaltheri open prison near Kattakada in Thiruvananthapuram was handed over to a private charitable trust. The trust wanted the land to open a school. However, the transfer of land was cancelled by the present LDF government.
As per the agreement between the trust and the previosu government, the land was handed over for a 30-year lease by charging 10 percent of the market value of the land. The complainant alleged that the decision was taken overlooking the objections raised by the Prisons Department.
The VACB had sought government permission for the probe as the recent amendment in the Prevention of Corruption Act mandated government nod for VACB to carry out investigations.