Kerala: More trouble for Congress chief Sudhakaran as vigilance intensifies probe

The Vigilance Wing of the Kerala Police has intensified its probe against KPCC chief K Sudhakaran, who was arrested on Friday (June 23) on a two-year-old graft complaint.

The complaint involving alleged misappropriation of funds was filed by his former driver two years ago. As part of its investigation, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has now sought the details of the income sources of his wife.

In a notice dated June 15, the VACB Kozhikode unit sought the service particulars and salary details of Smitha Sudhakaran from the school authorities where she was working.
The Vigilance bureau has sought details like the net salary, including Pay/DA, leave surrender, and other details, for a period starting in 2001.

According to the complaint lodged by his former driver, Prashanth Babu, in 2021, Sudhakaran allegedly siphoned off ₹32 crore from the funds received by the K Karunakaran Trust for building a memorial to Congress stalwart and former Kerala chief minister Karunakaran – a project that never took off.

The complaint also alleges that the KPCC president swindled funds collected for the construction of the Kannur DCC office.

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‘I have nothing to hide’: Sudhakaran

Talking to reporters in New Delhi, where he reached to meet senior Congress leaders, Sudhakaran said the Left government has started investigating his financial sources.

“They have issued a notice to the principal of the school where my wife was working. Let them probe. I have nothing to hide,” Sudhakaran said.

When the case was registered in 2021, Sudhakran had dared the Marxist party-led government to prove the corruption charges against him and said he would end his political life, if the investigators were able to do so.

On June 23, the state Crime Branch arrested the senior Congress leader after questioning him in a cheating case in which the prime accused is controversial antique dealer Monson Mavunkal.

Sudhakaran has reached New Delhi along with Leader of Opposition in the state, V D Satheesan, and is expected to hold meetings with senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and discuss various matters, including the police cases.

(With input from agencies)