Ex-MLA Demands CBI Consolidation of Evidence in Kerala LIFE Mission Probe
Former legislator Anil Akkara has called for the Kerala State Vigilance department to relinquish its files to the CBI to ensure a unified investigation. Akkara argues that parallel probes into the Wadakkanchery housing scandal compromise legal efficiency and evidence transparency.
Key takeaways
- Anil Akkara requested the State Vigilance department hand over all LIFE Mission housing project evidence to the CBI immediately.
- The CBI has already filed a chargesheet naming the LIFE Mission agency and Unitac Builders owner Santhosh Eappen as key accused parties.
- Akkara alleges that records involving former Principal Secretary M. Sivasankar are being withheld from federal investigators by state authorities.
- The ₹21 crore project funded by UAE's Red Crescent was originally intended for 2018 Kerala flood victims before legal irregularities were discovered.
- The former MLA urged the Kerala government to withdraw its Supreme Court petition and cooperate fully with the central agency's investigation.
Call for Unified Investigation
Anil Akkara, the former Wadakkanchery MLA and primary complainant in the LIFE Mission case, has formally requested that the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) cease its independent inquiry. Akkara plans to petition the Home Minister to mandate the transfer of all physical evidence, documents, and records to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has already submitted its chargesheet in the matter. According to Akkara, the current system of dual investigations by state and federal agencies hampers the coordination of legal proceedings and weakens the overall integrity of the probe.
Allegations of Withheld Evidence
A major point of contention involves records previously managed by M. Sivasankar, the former Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. Akkara alleges that the State Vigilance department has consistently refused to hand these specific files over to the CBI despite multiple requests. He maintains that a transparent investigation is impossible without a single agency possessing the full archive of evidence. The former lawmaker also urged the State government to abandon its pending petition in the Supreme Court and full assist the CBI to restore public faith in the justice system.
Scope of the Wadakkanchery Project Scandal
The controversy stems from a 2018 flood rehabilitation initiative funded by a ₹21 crore grant from the UAE-based Red Crescent. The project intended to build a hospital and housing complex in Wadakkanchery, but federal investigators allege widespread corruption in how contracts were awarded to Unitac Builders and Sane Ventures. Key figures and entities already named in the CBI chargesheet include:
- Santhosh Eappen: Owner of Unitac Builders, named as the primary accused.
- Sane Ventures: The second accused in the contracting hierarchy.
- LIFE Mission: The state agency itself, listed as the third accused.
- Additional Figures: Gold smuggling case suspects Swapna Suresh, Sandeep Nair, and former UAE Consulate staffer Sarith.
Akkara is now pushing for deeper scrutiny into the roles of high-ranking officials including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, former Minister A.C. Moideen, and former LIFE Mission CEO U.V. Jose, asserting that their involvement must be fully clarified to uphold the rule of law.
Source: The Hindu — National
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