KOCHI: A petition was filed before the High Court on Monday seeking a directive to CBI to take over the Titanium graft case involving former chief minister Oommen Chandy, former industry minister Ebrahim Kunju and Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala. The petitioner alleged that though the state government had issued a notification recommending CBI probe in September, 2019, there has been no follow-up by the Centre.
The petition was filed by S Jayan, a former employee of the Travancore Titanium Products (TTP) Ltd. The case, registered in 2006, pertains to the implementation of a pollution control and expansion project in the state-owned company. The allegation was that the contract for purchasing equipment for an effluent treatment plant was given to particular companies without floating a global tender.
The petitioner said TTP had engaged Metallurgical and Engineering Consultants (India) Ltd (MECON), a central government-owned firm in Uttaranchal, as project management consultant to address the pollution issue. MECON had been given complete authority to enter into a contract with Indian/foreign firms on behalf of TTP in 2006.
The petitioner further alleged that the project implemented by the MECOM for pollution control measures was marred by corruption. The project was conceived with the intention of plundering the profit-making company.
Investigate this
The petititon said the fund transfer to the foreign suppliers needs to be investigated. The VACB which probed the matter filed a report exonerating all the officials in 2012.