Kerala HC orders CBI probe into irregularities at KSCDC

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to conduct a probe into the allegation of corruption in the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation (KSCDC).

The court's direction came on a petition filed by Congress trade union leader K.Manoj and a detailed report that was filed by Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) K.M.Abraham, listing various irregularities in the functioning of the corporation, which is tasked with looking after the welfare of the cashew industry workers besides procuring raw cashew from international markets for supplying to the various cashew factories in the state among other duties.

Incidentally the report of Abraham which was submitted by him directly to the high court early this year had irked the state government, as the normal procedure of filing such reports was always through the advocate general.

A section of the state Congress leadership is upset over the functioning of Abraham whose report is understood to contain numerous shortcomings in the manner in which the KSCDC was run by its chairman and the managing director, both of whom are close relatives.