Probe party's land, building sale: Achuthanandan

Veteran CPI-M leader V.S. Achuthanandan who has often taken on his state unit has done it again and written to the party general secretary to probe the sale of land and building of its organ here to a controversial businessman.

About 32 cents of land and the building in the heart of the capital city was sold for around Rs.3 crore and the money re-invested in the new office complex of the party organ, also located here. One cent is equal to 434.6 sq ft.

Sunday, the media came to know that Achuthanandan raised this issue in the state secretariat and thereafter, Jan 8 written a letter to party general secretary Prakash Karat, ahead of the politburo meeting scheduled this week.

In his complaint to the party, Achuthanandan has asked for a proper probe into the whole deal.

Even though the sale took place in 2012, the issue flared up last month after a TV channel came out with records to show the deal was not transparent.

The sale was effected to a private party whose managing director was one Danish K. Chacko but the channel pointed out the company actually belonged to a controversial businessman, V.M. Radhakrishnan, and soon after the sale deed was effected, Chacko quit the company.

State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan recently lost his cool when the issue was raised at a press conference. Showing his displeasure, he pointed out the deal was fair and none need to be worried of it.

Radhakrishnan was charged by the Central Bureau of Investigation for abetting the suicide of a former Malabar Cements officials and his two sons, and is currently out on bail.

Achuthanandan, in November 2013, had raised strong voice after the party organ carried an advertisement of the company of Radhakrishnan and his picture on the concluding day of a party plenum.