Chakkittappara mining: Vigilance quizzes Subair

Kozhikode: The vigilance team probing the role of former industries minister Elamaram Karim in granting sanction to MSPL, a Karnataka-based private company for iron ore mining at Chakkittappara in the district, interrogated Subair, the driver of Noushad, a close relative of Karim, on Monday. 

The relationship between Noushad and Karim was in the limelight when Karim repeatedly denied his connection with him.  Karim had claimed that he had nothing to do with the alleged corruption. Subair had alleged earlier that he was assigned by Noushad to hand over an amount of '5 crore as bribe to a person at a hotel in Thiruvananthapuram.   

Subair had revealed earlier that Karim had accepted bribe for granting mining permission to the company during the LDF regime when he was industries minister. The government had ordered a vigilance inquiry when allegations of corruption cropped up against Karim. The government also had cancelled the licences issued  to the company at Chakkittappara, Mavoor and Kakkoor in the district.

The permission for mining was given to MSPL ignoring the proposal of Kudremukh iron ore company, a public sector entity.