Kerala orders probe against Ramesh Chennithala

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has ordered a preliminary inq-uiry against Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala with regard to the alleged corruption in allotting prison department's land to a private trust, while he was serving as home minister in the previous UDF government.

Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) special investigation unit-I was entrusted with the preliminary inquiry.

According to sources, the VACB received a petition alleging corruption in the decision to handover about 2.5 acre land of Nettuka-ltheri open prison near Kattakada in Thiruvana-nthapuram to a private charitable trust for starting a school. The land was handed over for 30 years lease by charging only 10 percent of the market value of the land. The petitioner also alleged that the decision was taken overlooking objections of prison department.

The VACB had sought permission for the probe as the recent amendments in the Prevention of Corr-uption Act mandated government nod the same. Subsequently the government ordered the preliminary inquiry. The LDF government had earlier cancelled the decision of the UDF government to handover the land to the trust.