KOCHI: Now, the state police and the home department are apparently on a collision course in the sensational flood relief fund scam allegedly involving local CPM leaders. In a conclusion almost diametrically opposite to that of the police, the home department said that the probe revealed the involvement of only one person.
This flies in the face of the police findings which resulted in seven persons being arraigned on the charges of diversion of money from the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF), meant for victims of the 2018 flood.
In its response to the complainant, the city-based RTI activist G Gireesh Babu, the home department said that Vishnu Prasad employed as a section clerk at the district collectorate here had diverted the money from the flood relief fund. Other collectorate employees, president of Ayyanad Service Cooperative Bank and political leaders, whose involvement in the case had been alleged by the complainant, were exonerated by the home department.
“Though police arrested seven persons in the case, all of them were released on bail. In its reply, the home department said that only Vishnu Prasad was involved in the scam,” said G Gireesh Babu, adding, the police are yet to file a chargesheet.
However, police said the inquiry in the case is under way. We have filed the chargesheet in one case and moves are afoot to file the chargesheet in the other case, said Biji George, ACP, who is heading the probe.
The case in connection with alleged misappropriation of Rs 73.13 lakh of funds remitted by beneficiaries directly at the collectorate was registered at the Thrikkakara police station on May 23. The funds had been siphoned by manipulating the beneficiary list provided by NIC Rebuild Ernakulam as well as manipulating the Bill Information Management System (BIMS) data of failed transactions in the treasury account. There were 1,23,086 applicants in the district for flood relief in 2018.
Though the extent of the offence can be ascertained only after the inquiry is over, the investigation by the District Crime Branch has reached nowhere. However, the investigation conducted so far has revealed misappropriation to the tune of Rs 27,73,500. M M Anwar, a former member of CPM Thrikkakara east local committee along with his wife Koulath Anwar, who was then board member of Ayyanad Cooperative Bank, were found to have transferred a sum of Rs 23.09 lakh. It had been diverted from CMDRF to their joint account by convincing the bank secretary that it was a transaction meant for them.
District records 767 new Covid-19 cases, 427 recoveries
Kochi: The district on Sunday reported 767 new Covid cases. Among the positive cases, 723 got infected through local transmission. Five health workers and two migrant labourers were among those tested positive. According to the health officials, sources of infection of 37 persons could not be established. Meanwhile, 427 persons recovered from Covid-19 in the district. In all, 10,200 patients are under treatment for Covid in the district. Multiple cases were reported from Kalady, Karukutty, Nedumbassery, Rayamangalam, Thuravoor, Kanjoor, Piravom, Edappally, Kaloor, Thrikkakara and Ayyampuzha.