Vigilance to quick-verify E P Jayarajan's nepotism'

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has decided to conduct a preliminary investigation into the alleged irregularities in the appointment of relatives to key posts by industry minister E.P. Jayarajan as well as all recent appointments to public sector undertaking carried out by the Public Sector Restructuring and Internal Audit Board (RIAB). Vigilance director Jacob Thomas took the decision based on the advice of its legal wing.  Special Investigation Unit-II SP K. Jayakumar will head the investigation.

Though no specific time limit has been prescribed for the probe, he directed him that the preliminary inquiry should be completed at the earliest. As per the Supreme Court order in Lalita Kumar case, a preliminary enquiry has to be completed in six weeks. In case there is prima facie evidence of corruption, a case would be registered. Meanwhile, a private petition seeking a probe into the allegation against the minister was filed before the Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigi-lance) here on Thursday. The VACB will be conveying the decision regarding the preliminary investigation to the court on Friday.

Vigilance sources said the probe would cover all recruitment process to top posts in 50 public sector undertakings under the industries department after LDF came to power. RIAB was entrusted with the recruitments. “We will be conducting a detailed investigation into the selection process of RIAB,” said an official. The vigilance director had already issued guidelines for the investigation. He would hold a meeting of the SIU-II on Friday morning to finalise its modalities.

It is also learnt the Mr Thomas had called on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the morning and conveyed the necessity to initiate a probe into the representations given by Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and BJP general secretary K. Surendran. Mr Jayarajan was caught up in controversy over the appointment of his nephew P. K. Sudheer Nambiar, who is also the son of P. K. Sreemathi MP, as managing director of Kerala State Industrial Enterprises and his brother’s daughter-in-law Deepthi Nishad as general manager at Kerala Clays and Ceramics Products Limited.

The appointments of former chief minister E.K. Nayanar's grandson Sooraj Raveendra as MD of Kinfra Film and Video Park, CITU state president Anathalavattom Anandan's son Jeeva Anand as MD of Kinfra Apparel Park and Koliyakode Krishnan Nair's son Unnikrishnan as general manager of Kinfra also kicked up a controversy.