Nepotism row: Vigilance to close case against EP Jayarajan
- The vigilance believes there was no corruption in the case as EP Jayarajan did not get any financial benefits
- The decision to close the case was taken following the advice of vigilance legal advisor CC Augustine
- A report will be submitted on this by vigilance DySP V Shyam Kumar to director Loknath Behera within a week
FollowThe vigilance and anti-corruption bureau (VACB) is set to close the investigation into the nepotism case against former sports minister and CPM central committee member EP Jayarajan.
The vigilance believes there was no corruption in the case as Jayarajan and the others did not get any financial benefits from the appointments. Moreover, the order was revoked before executing it.
The decision to close the case was taken following the advice of vigilance legal advisor CC Augustine. He informed that the investigation against the CPM leader could not be continued due to lack of evidence. A report will be submitted on this by vigilance DySP V Shyam Kumar to director Loknath Behera within a week.
Also read: Nepotism row: Noose tightens for Kerala Minister Jayarajan
Reacting to the development, Jayarajan said he did nothing against the law. “I made no financial gains through the appointments. But I thought it was better to step down when allegations were raised against a minister. Now, I have proved my innocence to my party and the public,” he pointed out.
Jayarajan also stressed that he is not thinking about being reinstated to the cabinet just yet. Earlier, the vigilance had informed the Kerala High Court that the case would not stand legal scrutiny.
Read more: VACB to probe charges against Kerala Minister; Jayarajan's resignation imminent
Jayarajan resigned in October 2016 after a row following the appointments of his nephew PK Sudheer as the managing director of Kerala State Industrial Enterprises (Ltd) and Deepthi Nishad, his brother’s daughter-in law, as general manager of Kerala Clays and Ceramics Products Limited. Sudheer's appointment was cancelled two days later, while Deepthi resigned following the controversy.
