Senior Congress leader Anil Akkara has written to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Union Finance Ministry, urging immediate legal action against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's son, Vivek Kiran, for allegedly evading summons in the high-profile Life Mission money laundering case. The complaint, emailed on Monday to the Revenue Department Secretary and ED Director, demands Kiran's custodial interrogation to expedite the probe and prevent potential interference, reigniting political tensions in the state ahead of local elections.
The Life Mission scam centres on irregularities in constructing flood-resilient apartments in Wadakkancherry, Thrissur, funded by the UAE Red Crescent for 2018 Kerala flood victims. ED investigations allege that Unitac Builders, the project contractor, disbursed Rs 4.5 crore in commissions to middlemen, including state representatives, in violation of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has separately filed a case under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, stemming from Akkara's initial complaint in 2023. Akkara's latest missive highlights Kiran's non-appearance before the ED in February 2023, despite summons, and questions the lack of follow-up, contrasting it with the swift arrest of former Principal Secretary M. Sivasankar on the same day he complied.
Akkara emphasised Kiran's direct involvement, as revealed by the other accused, and called for classifying him as a prime suspect residing at Cliff House, the CM's official residence in Thiruvananthapuram. He also pressed for the apprehension of absconding Khaled Mohamed Ali Shoukry, former finance head at the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram, to kickstart formal proceedings. "The urgent intervention of ED is requested to ensure these individuals are located and brought to justice under the PMLA-registered Life Mission flat scam case," Akkara stated, underscoring the need for custodial questioning to avert trial delays or sabotage.
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The development has amplified Congress accusations of a CPI(M)-BJP "nexus", suggesting selective enforcement by central agencies. Education Minister V. Sivankutty dismissed the claims as a "politically motivated conspiracy", defending Kiran amid the opposition's broader assault on the Vijayan government's transparency.
Chief Minister Vijayan has not publicly responded, but the case—first surfacing in 2022—continues to cast a shadow over Kerala's welfare initiatives. With the ED's probe ongoing and CBI involvement, the matter could escalate judicially, testing the LDF administration's resilience in a polarised political climate.
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