CBI begins probe into CM Vijayan's close aide Abraham, petitioner files caveat

Kochi, April 28 (IANS) The CBI on Monday launched an investigation, as directed by the Kerala High Court, into allegations of illegal amassment of wealth by K.M. Abraham -- Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, former Chief Secretary, and CEO of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).

The CBI’s FIR, spanning nearly 600 pages, has now entered the public domain.

Public activist Joemon Puthenpurackal, who has pursued the case for over a decade, is the petitioner.

Speaking on Monday, Puthenpurackal, well-versed in legal procedures, said he anticipated that Abraham would use his influence to navigate the legal system.

“But I have filed a caveat in the Supreme Court, which ensures that I must be heard before any decision is taken on Abraham’s petition,” he said.

Puthenpurackal also alleged that Abraham had previously leveraged his clout to manipulate a Vigilance inquiry into the same allegations.

“Though my original petition sought a probe into Abraham’s wealth accumulation from 2003 to 2015, the Vigilance limited the inquiry to 2009. However, the High Court has now ordered that the probe cover the entire period from 2003 to 2015,” he added.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Vijayan remarked that since Abraham would be pursuing legal remedies, no immediate action would be taken against him.

CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan echoed this, calling the investigation a political ploy.

“So what if the CBI is probing? Let them do their job. Everyone knows that the Centre is increasingly using its agencies against opponents. A probe does not imply guilt. We will wait for the report,” Govindan said.

Reacting to the developments, senior Congress legislator Ramesh Chennithala demanded Abraham’s immediate resignation.

“First, it was M. Sivasankar, Vijayan’s former principal secretary, who was jailed twice and is now out on bail. Now it’s Abraham. This proves that the Chief Minister’s office is the epicentre of corruption and illegal dealings,” Chennithala said.

--IANS

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