An FIR was today filed against former ministers Adoor Prakash and P K Kunhalikutty by the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption bureau in a land allotment case involving controversial godman Santhosh Madhavan.
P Madhavan, Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge, Muvattupuzha, had recently rejected the recommendations of the Vigilance Director, who submitted a Quick Verification Report into the matter, to drop further proceedings in the case.
The court had directed Vigilance to file a case against the former ministers in connection with the land allotment issue on a complaint by Girish Babu, a social activist.
During the previous UDF rule, Babu had moved the court seeking directions to register a case against then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Prakash and four others, alleging corruption behind the March 2, 2016 Government Order, exempting 95.44 acres in Puthenvelikkara panchayat at Paravur and 32.41 acres at Madathumpadi in Kodungallur from some provisions of the Kerala Land Reforms Act, dealing with paddy and wetlands.
The exemption was given to RMZ Eco World Infrastructure Pvt Ltd for setting up a Hi-tech IT Park, subject to certain conditions.
As per the order, the deal was exempted from the land ceiling limit under Section-81(3) of the Kerala Land Reforms Act. The UDF government withdrew it later following reports of high-level corruption.
The court had directed framing of charges against them for offences under IPC sections 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 409 (Criminal breach of trust by public servant or by banker, merchant or agent) and under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.
It had also directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to file a final report at the earliest.
