KOCHI: Over a year after launching a probe into the diversion of more than Rs 28 lakh allocated to flood victims from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF), the Crime Branch on Monday filed a chargesheet against seven persons, including two CPM leaders, at the Muvattupuzha Vigilance Court.
The chargesheet names Ernakulam District Collectorate clerk Vishnu Prasad, his friend B Mahesh, former CPM Thrikkakara local committee member M M Anwar, his wife Kaulath, who was a member of the Ayyanad Service Cooperative Bank, Mahesh’s wife Neethu, former CPM Thrikkakara North local committee member Nithin, and his wife Shintu. The Crime Branch has given a clean chit to other officials of the Ayyanad Service Cooperative Bank and the collectorate against whom allegations were levelled in the initial stages of the probe.
The chargesheet runs into 1,267 pages with
172 persons listed as witnesses. The Crime Branch stated that the accused persons conspired and diverted Rs 27.73 lakh meant to be distributed to people affected severely by the flood. Till now, the Crime Branch could recover only Rs 10.58 lakh.
In the chargesheet, the investigative agency said the accused committed an organised crime to divert funds allocated to flood victims who lost their houses. The first accused, Vishnu, tampered with the list and bank details of flood victims and transferred the amount to bank accounts of the co-accused and their relatives. The money was again transferred to other accounts before being withdrawn. The money was invested in various businesses in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the chargesheet said.
Vishnu is also cited to have siphoned off money collected by collectorate officials for meeting the medical expenses of temporary staff and as donation for the marriage function of an official’s relative. The accused persons misused the government system to divert the fund.
As there was a delay in filing the chargesheet, the accused were granted statutory bail by the court. The delay also sparked a controversy as the Opposition alleged it was done deliberately to protect CPM leaders. The Crime Branch had registered another corruption case against Vishnu, the chargesheet for which was filed last year.
Crime Branch yet to recover K17.15 lakh
The chargesheet runs into 1,267 pages with 172 persons listed as witnesses. The Crime Branch stated that the accused persons conspired and diverted Rs 27.73 lakh meant to be distributed to people affected severely by the flood. Till now, the Crime Branch could recover only Rs 10.58 lakh.