Raid on Public Works Department secretary T O Sooraj unearths Rs 5 crore
Liquid cash to the tune of Rs 25 lakh was recovered
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-11-20 07:50 GMT
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has seized cash and documents of investments to the tune of nearly Rs 5 crore, including seven flats, from the office at secretariat, residences and commercial establishments belonging to Public Works Department secretary T.O. Sooraj.
A confidential verification by the VACB found that Mr Sooraj had amassed assets worth about Rs 5 crore over the last ten years, about 55 percent of which (nearly Rs 2.75 crore) was ill-gotten.
The VACB had filed a first information report against Mr Sooraj at the Inquiry Commissioner and Special Court (Vigilance) in Thrissur on Monday. According to sources, the VACB may recommend suspension of Mr Sooraj after verifying the documents seized in the raids and his versions.
Raids were held around 6.30 a.m. on five spots simultaneously under the supervision of ADGP (Vigilance) Jacob Thomas and Ernakulam special cell SP K.M. Tommy.
Liquid cash to the tune of Rs 25 lakh was recovered from his residence at Kunnukuzhi in the state capital where he was staying. Some crucial documents regarding deals with contractors were recovered from his secretariat office. Documents of bank investments and land deeds even of other states were recovered from his house.
In Kochi, the raids were conducted on his houses at Vennala and Freedom Road, Kaloor, and a warehouse owned by him at Palarivattom pipeline junction. Most of the documents seized pertained to properties amassed by him in the name of his relatives in Kochi, Kozhikode and Coimbatore. The house at Vennala is worth nearly '3.5 crore while that at Kaloor was bought by his son for Rs 1.4 crore.
The VACB initiated the confidential verification on the basis of a series of complaints pertaining to irregularities in road works. Mr Sooraj earlier held crucial posts of Land Revenue Commissioner and Industries Director prior to becoming the PWD secretary.
He had also faced many vigilance inquiries earlier and the VACB even recommended his suspension, but was not executed by the government. It is said to be for the first time that an anti-corruption agency was raiding the office of a government secretary in the secretariat.