VS office indulged in favouritism, HC told

KOCHI: The Chief Minister’s Office, during V S Achuthanandan’s tenure, had indulged in undue favouritism by allotting land to his relative T K Soman. The state government said this in a submission to the Kerala High Court on Tuesday. Achuthanandan along with the then Revenue Minister, high-level officials of the Revenue Department and top bureaucrats aided and abetted in a total breach of justice, Director General of Prosecution (DGP) T Asaf Ali said.The DGP also handed over the statement made by former land revenue commissioner K R Muraleedharan before the Magistrate and the Vigilance Department. Muraleedharan has deposed that Achuthanandan’s Personal Assistant A Suresh had called him many times regarding the allotment of land. Suresh had made the calls from the phone in the Chief Minster’s Office and had told him that CM had a special interest in the case. The Land Revenue Commissioner further submitted before the Vigilance that pressure was exerted on him to prepare documents in favour of Soman, so as to enable him to get exemption for alienation of the assigned land before the stipulated period of 25 years. The Land Revenue Commissioner had informed that a decision at this level was impossible. However, Suresh compelled him in taking a favourable decision, the statement by the DGP said. According to the statement, A Suresh and the other accused, including Achuthanandan, had hatched a conspiracy in committing the crime. Personal Assistant of the CM has no reason to look into the files or anything in the custody of the government, Asaf Ali said. He has no authority to summon top officials in the rank of a Land Revenue Commissioner. The state further submitted that the investigation in the case is steadily progressing and incriminating call data records relating to the petitioner and the other accused are being collected. The state government pointed out that on receiving the representation from T K Soman, the then Principal Secretary to CM Sheela Thomas had handed over the same to Muraleedharan, instead of forwarding it to the Revenue Minister. Sheela Thomas forwarded the same with an endorsement ‘Please examine urgently, take necessary actions without delay’. This is illegal, the state submitted. The case has been adjourned to March 27.