Vigilance probe ordered against Kerala Cong chief

The Kerala Police vigilance director has initiated a probe against state Congress committee chief K. Sudhakaran on a petition filed by his former driver Prasanth Babu.

Vigilance Director General of Police Sudesh Kumar has ordered a probe into the charges of Prasanth Babu and directed the vigilance team to submit a report with immediate effect.

The vigilance probe, which has already been termed as a political vendetta by the state Congress party, will dwell into the allegations raised in the complaint filed by Prasanth Babu. Babu in his statement has said that 'the Congress leader has amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income'.

The former driver has also alleged that 'Sudhakaran had indulged in financial misappropriation of funds during the construction of the Kannur District Congress Committee office.'

The complainant has raised ann allegation that other than malpractices and misappropriation of funds in the construction of the District Congress Committee office, Kannur, there was misappropriation in the funds from the trust which is in the name of former Chief Minister late K. Karunakaran.

Sources in the state vigilance told IANS that the first step of the investigation will be to check the veracity of the allegations levelled by the former driver of K. Sudhakaran and that further investigation will be ordered based on the preliminary report.

Kerala opposition leader and senior Congress leader V.D. Satheeshan told reporters at Kochi that the vigilance inquiry against KPCC chie Sudhakaran was nothing short of political vendetta and said that the Congress fill fight this.