Kerala govt orders Vigilance investigation against Opposition leader VD Satheesan over Punarjani project

The Kerala government on Friday ordered a vigilance investigation against Opposition leader VD Satheesan in connection with the Punarjani project. The Chief Minister gave the order after Satheesan allegedly violated the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) based on the complaint of Jaison Panikulangara, a member of the Chalakudy Kathikudam Action Council.

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday ordered a vigilance investigation against Opposition leader V D Satheesan for allegedly receiving foreign funds in connection with a project to give assistance to flood victims. He is alleged to have violated the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). 

The initial investigation follows from a complaint made by Jaison Panikulangara, a member of the Chalakudy Kathikudam Action Council, alleging that Satheesan obtained funds for the Punarjani project, intended to aid those who lost their homes and means of support due to the 2018 floods in his home constituency of Paravur, in violation of the FCRA.

The investigation will focus on finding out where the funds for the project came from, how they were transferred to Kerala, whether the required legal steps were taken, and whether VD Satheesan traveled abroad to collect funds with the government's approval.

The government previously sought legal counsel before opening an investigation into the opposition leader. Accordingly, it was claimed that the Speaker's approval was not required to begin an investigation into the activities of MLAs in their respective constituencies.

For the flood victims in his constituency, 280 homes have so far been built under the programme. 37 of these were sponsored by Kerala expatriates. Satheesan had asked for the money while visiting Dubai and the UK.