KOCHI: CPM state committee member Gopi Kottamurikkal, who is also the chairman of the Muvattupuzha Urban Cooperative Bank, tendered his resignation before the director board of the bank on Sunday. The officials of the bank had courted controversy after they evicted two minor sisters and sealed their house for defaulting on loan repayment by their hospitalised father courted controversy.
Sources with the CPM-controlled bank’s director board confirmed the development and said the direct board meeting will decide whether to accept or reject the resignation. The move came following a CPM directive after the incident courted a controversy. Two employees of the bank have been suspended in connection with the incident.
Bank CEO Jose K Peter had stepped down after submitting his resignation letter to Gopi on April 6. He resigned from the post within a few hours after Minister for Cooperation V N Vasavan ordered stringent action against the officials responsible for the action. As per sources, Gopi had informed the party of his wish to quit the post as he was busy with the responsibility as president of the Kerala Bank.
The Muvattupuzha joint registrar of cooperative societies submitted a preliminary report stating that the bank officials had failed to follow the state government’s direction to arrange an alternative shelter for those evicted while initiating the attachment proceedings. Following this, deputy general manager Shanty and Pezhakkapilly branch manager Sajeevan were placed under suspension. On April 2, the bank officials attached the property of Ajesh Kumar V A in Paipra after asking his twin daughters to vacate their house.
Later, MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan, along with local residents, broke open the lock and took the children inside.