Vigilance court finds former panchayat president guilty

An anti-corruption court in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday sentenced five persons, including former president of Kallara panchayat M.G. Meena Ambika, to two years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 10,000 each after they were found guilty of embezzlement of public funds amounting to nearly Rs.14 lakh.

Earlier, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) had arraigned the accused, including the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, in connection with the loss sustained by government in the construction of a water shed in the locality.

Other guilty

The other four who were found guilty in the case were District Officer Abdul Aziz Seth, Block Officer Anil Kumar Babu, Overseer Aravindakshan, and Superintendent Prasanna Kumari.

The presiding judicial officer, John Ellikadan, also found the accused persons guilty of conspiracy to commit financial fraud.