KOCHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday received the custody of M Sivasankar, former principal secretary of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, for four more days in the Wadakkancherry Life Mission case.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the ED will summon C M Raveendran, the additional private secretary of the Chief Minister, for interrogation soon as the agency found that he was aware of the Life Mission project which was funded by UAE's Red Cresent in 2019.
Sivasankar, who was in ED's custody for the last five days, was produced before Special Court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case in Kochi on Monday evening.
ED filed an affidavit stating that the case has wider ramifications and that further personal interrogation of Sivasankar is required in the case. ED requested the court to extend the custody of Sivasankar for four more days.
Sivasankar's counsel did not object to ED submission and the court granted the custody of the former bureaucrat to the national agency till Friday at 3.30 pm. Sivasankar was arrested on February 14 and the court granted him custody of ED for five days which ended on Monday.
Sivasankar ruled out any complaint against the investigation agency when the court asked him about it. His counsel requested the court to the continuation of medical treatment in ED custody.
On this ED's counsel submitted that Sivasankar is undergoing daily medical checks. A medical report was also filed before the court.
ED has received a detailed statement from Sivasankar in connection with the involvement of the Kerala government in the Wadakkancherry Life Mission project. ED also collected his statement regarding the involvement of Raveeendran in connection with the project.
According to ED sources, Raveendran is likely to be questioned soon. ED officials said that they have received evidence that Raveendran was aware of the project and his involvement in allotting land for the project in Wadakkancherry is being probed. His role in allotting work to Unitac Builders without inviting a tender is also part of the probe.
Earlier, the ED questioned Raveendran in the Thiruvananthapuram gold smuggling case in December 2020.
The national agency is also checking the role of more persons in Life Mission and Local Self Government Department (LSGD) in the case. ED has prepared a list of officials who are to be questioned as part of the probe.
Last week, ED grilled UV Jose, former CEO of the Life Mission project. ED registered a case based on an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) in accepting funds from abroad for the project. There are six persons including Sivasankar as accused in the case.