Cong leader wants CM to be probed in nepotism case

A day after the Vigilance in Kerala booked former minister E P Jayarajan on charges of nepotism over a key appointment made in a PSU, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala today alleged the appointment was done with the consent of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and said his role should also be probed.
Chennithala, the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, alleged that the CPI(M) leader took the decision to appoint his relative in the state Public Sector Unit after taking permission from the Chief Minister. "So the role of the Chief Minister should be investigated... I am going to give a letter to the Vigilance Director seeking a probe into the role of the Chief Minister in the controversial appointment," he told a UDF convention here.

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau had yesterday registered an FIR against Jayarajan under the Prevention of Corruption Act after a Quick Verification in connection with the appointment.
Jayarajan, who was forced to quit the Vijayan cabinet in October last year after the issue surfaced, has been named the first accused in the case.
His nephew Sudheer Nambiar, son of party's Kannur MP P K Sreemathi, and Additional Chief Secretary (Industries) Paul Antony are the the second and third accused. The case was registered for "violating due process of selection" while appointing Sudheer as the Managing Director in Kerala State Industrial Enterprises Ltd. The FIR has said though two other persons were shortlisted for the posts after interview and other procedures, Sudheer was selected for the post overlooking this.

Reacting to the registration of the FIR, Chennithala had yesterday itself demanded that the Vigilance should probe the role of the Chief Minister.