FIR on Kerala State Road Transport Corporation staff over stash plan

Kochi: The Vigilance Court in Muvattupuzha on Friday ordered the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau  to register cases against three officials of the Kerala State Road Trans-port Corporation for allegedly diverting the daily revenue collection to help turn the ‘black money’ of the KSRTC Employees Co-operative Society into proper  accounts post-demonetisation. The court directed the VACB to register cases against KSRTC Muvattupuzha depo cash superintendent Manjula Iype, junior assistants Sulfith and P.A. Suhara based on a complaint filed by Jayaraman of Veloor.    

The VACB following a preliminary inquiry into the allegation had filed a report before the court based on which the registration of the case was recommended. According to the complainant, the KSRTC officials with the Muvattupuzha depot and the secretary of the KSRTC Co-operative Society “abused” their official position to turn unaccounted money with the society into accounted one. Even after the demonetisation reforms were declared, the KSRTC conductors were permitted to accept banned notes of 500 and 1000 denominations from November 8 to Novemebr 24, 2016.

In the Muvattupuzha KSRTC bus station, the daily collection amount was handed over by conductors to the cashier. The cashier after sorting out the currency, recorded  the details of the currencies and deposited  it with SBT branch in Muvattupuzha. The Vigilance in the preliminary report found that 1180 currencies of 500 denomination and 682 currencies of 1000 denomination were additionally submitted by the KSRTC Muvattupuzha with the SBT branch during this time period. The complainant alleged that around Rs 19, 40, 500 black money was converted to white money using this modus operandi. The court also directed the VACB that  if the involvement of more persons emerges, they should also be arraigned as accused in the case.