THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Six months after the State govt urged CBI to take up Titanium corruption case, the agency is still undecided on whether or not to take up the probe. The scam involves Congress stalwarts Oomen Chandy, Ramesh Chennithala and Minister Ebrahim Kunju.
Since investigations in the case extends to countries abroad, the Vigilance that launched the probe, recommended that the case be looked into by CBI. Accordingly, the State govt on 3 September, 2019 approached the Centre requesting for CBI investigations. The State Vigilance officials duly handed over detailed pro forma , records and items in evidence to CBI at their national headquarters in Delhi. Though CBI took in the documents, it is yet to act on it . The agency has not since sought any kind of information from Vigilance either. In fact, CBI offers no signal as to whether it will take up the probe or reject it. Union Ministers including V Muraleedharan too are strangely quiet on the matter.
The Case
Between 2004 – 2005, the UDF govt in 2004 paid Rs 256 core to Mecon India Ltd, for setting up an effluent treatment plant at State-owned Travancore Titanium Products Ltd. As part of the contract, Rs 72 crore was forwarded to two foreign companies – one in England, other in Finland . However in a probe initiated in 2007, the Vigilance could not trace the whereabouts of these overseas companies. The plant installation project when first decided, was estimated to cost Rs 108 crore. The costs were later upgraded to Rs 256 crore.
Vigilance in its probe found that, a Rs 109 crore was paid to the companies even before the laying of foundation stone could take place ,heightening suspicions of underhand dealings further. In its plea to the Court, Vigilance had claimed there was corruption involved in the deal that incriminated former Chief Minister of Kerala, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala the Home Minister and former Minister for Industries, Ebrahim Kunj.
