Kozhikode: Ex-collector penalised' for misuse of govt vehicles

Kozhikode: Former Kozhikode district collector Prasanth Nair has been slapped with a penalty of Rs 25, 73,385 for the illegal purchase of two Ford Aspire cars and using them for personal purpose. However, Mr Prasanth has denied the charge raised by Mr K.M. Basheer, president of Malabar Development Forum.

The government had sanctioned the purchase of two Bolero jeeps which are suitable for conducting squad work. But Mr Prasanth bought two cars, one of which was used for his personal needs and the other by a sub-collector violating rules.

This has been revealed in an RTI reply received by Mr Basheer who told reporters here on Wednesday, "I have no personal grudge  against the former collector, but I won't allow the officials to drain the government treasury. The details of the other five guilty sub-collectors will be revealed soon," he said.

Mr Prasanth was penalised on November  10 last year by the state secretariat finance department, Kozhikode, which probed the case on the orders of the state finance department based on a complaint filed by Mr Basheer.

 Mr Pransanth contested the version of Mr  Basheer and said he was  twisting facts. Mr Prasanth was transferred as collector from Kozhikode to the Kerala higher education department as secretary in 2017.