The Kerala Lok Ayukta on Monday heard the former Minister and ruling front legislator from Pathanapuram B. Ganesh Kumar, MLA, reiterating the allegations of corruption and nepotism he had raised against the office of Minister for Public Works Ebrahim Kunju, both in the Legislative Assembly and outside.
On the basis of a public interest petition, the court had initiated an inquiry into the allegations raised by Mr. Ganesh. It had also issued summons to the politician, who is also a veteran film star and popular television talk show host.
The legislator presented himself before the court when it convened at 11 a.m. The court clerk recorded the politician’s statement. He read out the written statement to Mr. Ganesh, who subsequently attested it as true.
In his statement, he said his constituency was deprived of funds for development works owing to alleged nepotism in finance allocation in the Pubic Works Department ministry. This required to be inquired into.
He said he was in possession of documentary evidence of the alleged corruption in the Minister’s office. The politician sought two months time for producing the relevant records.
The court granted him three months and said it would hear the case again on March 30, 2015.
Mr. Ganesh later told reporters of television channels that he was in the process of gathering material evidence in the case and it would be submitted before the Lok Ayukta.
The court had considered the case on the basis of a petition filed by one George Vattakulam.
The court said it was loath to admit the complaint at this stage. It said the petition was a “cryptic one” and it was “not convinced” of its genuineness.
However, it has initiated a preliminary inquiry into the matter.
