The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Probe against Vakkom’s kin

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Wednesday, Nov 21, 2007
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Probe against Vakkom’s kin

Staff Reporter

Thiruvananthapuram: The Vigilance Inquiry Commissioner and Special Judge here will directly investigate whether former Finance Minister Vakkom Purusothaman’s family had evaded stamp duty by deliberately undervaluing the land they purchased in the district during December 2004 and February 2005.

The judge, K. Sasidharan Nair, passed the order under section 202 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) on Tuesday.

Mr. Purushothaman’s sons Biju Purushothaman and Binu Purushothaman and his son-in-law, Rajagopal, had purchased nearly 10.5 acre in Karakulam and Vattapara when the former was Finance and Excise Minister.

In 2006, Madathil Marikar Haji approached the Vigilance court accusing Mr. Purushothaman of violating the Prevention of Corruption Act and his relatives of evading stamp duty. The court ordered the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to conduct a preliminary inquiry.

The VACB reported that it could not connect Mr. Purushothaman with the acquisition of property by his relatives. It recommended a Registration Department inquiry to find out whether there was any stamp duty evasion. The Vigilance court dismissed Mr. Haji’s complaint. Mr. Haji challenged the court’s decision in the High Court.

The court has directed both parties to present their sides on January 4.

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