E-Paper
Former Kerala minister arrested from hospital in flyover graft case
The flyover which was completed in 2016 is being rebuilt now.
The Kerala vigilance and anti-corruption bureau on Wednesday arrested former public works department minister V K Ebrahim Kunju in connection with alleged irregularities in the construction of a flyover in Kochi.
Kunju (68), a Muslim MLA MLA from Kalamssery in Ernakulam district was arrested from a hospital after vigilance officials met the doctors treating him. For now, he will remain in hospital, officials said.
Earlier In the morning, investigators raided his house in Aluva in Kochi. Kunju was earlier booked by the vigilance department after serious irregularities were found in the construction of the Palarivattom flyover.
The flyover which was completed in 2016 was built at a cost of ₹47.7 crore on National Highway 66 Bypass. It was closed for traffic in May after cracks appeared in some of the pillars and girders. Later engineering experts from IIT-Madras found that its design was faulty and low-quality materials were used to build the 750-metre long bridge.
The government then approached Metro Man E Sreedharan and he also favoured demolition of the flyover to build a new one. Now the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is rebuilding the flyover under the supervision of Sreedharan.
A case was registered by the vigilance department which arrested former PWD secretary TO Sooraj and three others in August in connection with alleged irregularities. After his arrest Sooraj, a controversial IAS officer, said he was made a scapegoat. Though Kunju was interrogated a couple of times he was let off. Sooraj is now out on bail.
The three others who were arrested along with Sooraj were Sumii Goyal, maging director of construction firm RDS Projects Ltd, Benny Paul of Kitco, technical consultant and P D Thankacchan of GM of Roads and Birdges Development Corporation of Kerala
Kunju’s arrest on Wednesday has kicked off a controversy. The opposition Congress and Muslim League said it was politically motivated and was intended to distract attention from the gold smuggling and drug cases. “It was a politically motivated move. The government which is neck deep in corruption wanted to save its face somehow,” said opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala.
But CPI(M) state secretary A Vijayaraghavan said the arrest was a natural process after the investigation. He denied opposition charge that it was a politically motivated move in the midst of local body polls.
Interestingly state secretary of ruling CPI(M) Kodiyeri Balakrishnan was forced to proceed on leave last week after his son was allegedly involved in Bengaluru drug haul while Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s former secretary M Sivasankar continues to be in jail in connection with the gold smuggling case.
The faulty flyover also triggered a blame game between the opposition UDF and ruling LDF (Left Democratic Front). The ruling coalition said the previous government was responsible for the mess but the UDF claimed the present dispensation had given the fitness certificate and inaugurated the flyover with much fanfare.
“When we left the power only 60 per cent of the work was over and rest 40 was done during the present regime. The arrest of Kunju was intended to save the face of the rotten government,” said Muslim League leader P K Kunhalikutty. He said the party will rally behind Kunju who is the second MLA to be arrested recently after M C Kamaruddin, a lawmaker from north Keralaiwho was sent to jail in connection with an alleged jewellery fund embezzlement case.
