Kerala   

Kuruvilla must go: Achuthanandan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has made it clear that Public Works Minister T.U. Kuruvilla should vacate office given the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) State committee decision to hold a judicial inquiry into the allegations relating to the Minister and his children’s involvement in a land deal in Munnar.

“We are going to order a judicial inquiry. It is only natural for Mr. Kuruvilla to stay out of office when the judicial inquiry is on. We hope that the Kerala Congress (J) would create conditions conducive for that,” Mr. Achuthanandan said while replying to questions at a news conference here on Friday.

He said the KC(J) was free to nominate another MLA from the party to hold office once Mr. Kuruvilla stepped down and that he could return if he was cleared of the charges. The Chief Minister was replying to questions relating to KC(J) chairman P. J. Joseph’s reported statement that his party would not propose a replacement for Mr. Kuruvilla.

The Chief Minister pointed out that the LDF State committee decision was to get the inquiry report in three to four months. Mr. Kuruvilla himself could return as Minister if his innocence was proved or the party could nominate another person to hold the post, Mr. Achuthanandan said.

The Chief Minister said the Government would be writing to the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) requesting it to entrust the investigation in the Kiliroor-Kaviyoor sex racket case with senior officers.

The Government had already referred the case for CBI investigation, but the parents of Shari who was allegedly sexually exploited by a racket and whose condition worsened following visit of a ‘VIP’ to the hospital where she was being treated had alleged recently that it was Health Minister P. K. Sreemathy, who was then an MLA, who had visited the girl.

They had also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister seeking an inquiry into the matter.

Asked whether the Government was seeking a reinvestigation of the case, Mr. Achuthanandan replied in the negative and said what the Government wanted was investigation by senior officers so that the entire truth could be brought out.

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