THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has given a clean chit to senior Congress leader V S Sivakumar in a case alleging amassment of wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income. The vigilance probe found no evidence linking him to benami transactions or illegal accumulation of assets.
The case was registered in 2016 based on an anonymous complaint alleging that Sivakumar had amassed disproportionate assets during his tenure as health minister in the last Oommen Chandy-led government.
Responding to the vigilance report, Sivakumar said the truth had finally prevailed and described the findings as a fitting reply to what he termed a sustained campaign by the Left Front against him over the years.
He referred to a recent remark made by Health Minister Veena George in the assembly, alleging that she attempted to deflect criticism of her department by claiming that the only development during his tenure was the purchase of a private hospital.
Calling the remark irresponsible, Sivakumar said the minister should issue a public apology. He further alleged that the complaint, filed anonymously, was aimed at tarnishing his public image and that even his family had been dragged into the controversy.
Though the case was registered in 2016, the preliminary probe concluded only in 2018, and the FIR was filed in 2020. Sivakumar also said that he has filed a `50 lakh defamation suit before the Thiruvananthapuram sub court against those who allegedly ran false campaigns against him on social media.