Under fire from various quarters for the multicrore corruption scandals involving the CPM, the party-led LDF turned the tables on the Opposition UDF on Monday. The Government has ordered a vigilance inquiry into the allegation that KPCC Chief Ramesh Chennithala had received illegal benefits worth Rs 10 crore from the main accused in a murder case. It was CPM legislator P Jayarajan who raised the allegation as a submission in the assembly.

He said that a lawyer previously associated with the Himalaya group chit funds has now offered to provide further proof of the alleged deal. The lawyer, Mr Hakkim, had last year alleged that Mr Chennithala had taken a bribe of Rs 10 crore from the group promising to help secure a grant of Rs one billion from the Centre for its sister concern – the Himalaya Trust. 

Mr Hakkim had raised the allegation when the two managing partners of the group were made accused in the murder of a rival chit fund owner. “In this context, it has been decided to order a vigilance inquiry into the issue,” said Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. Mr Chennithala has rubbished the claims.  He said the cooked-up story had been brought up to cover up the CPM’s loss of face in the multicrore financial scandals. “I welcome any sort of inquiry, be it police or CBI, into the allegation,” he said.

The UDF leadership said such vindictive measures would not save the CPM from the serious problems it was facing. “The law can take its course in this case. But these tactics are not going to succeed,” said UDF convener P P Thankachan.