The Thrissur Vigilance Court has ordered the registration of a case and an investigation into allegations that Chalakudy MLA Sanish Kumar Joseph, KPCC general secretary Rajendran Arangath demanded a bribe in connection with securing title documents for a 17-cent plot of land. The court asked to file case against six government officials too in this connection.

The court acted on a complaint filed by Devendran, a native of Thanikkudam, who alleged that he was asked to pay money to secure the pattayam, or land title, for property in Madakkathara village.

According to the complaint, Mr. Devendran had approached Mr. Joseph, then a district panchayat member, in 2013 seeking assistance in obtaining the title deed for the 17-cent property registered in the name of his mother, Bharathiamma, at Madakkathara.

The complainant alleged that an initial bribe demand of ₹5 lakh was made to facilitate the issue of the title deed. After he said he could not pay the amount, the demand was allegedly reduced to ₹2 lakh, which also he did not pay.

Mr. Devendran further alleged that after the title deed was eventually secured, he was asked to pay ₹75,000 as a bribe. He alleged that Mr. Arangath was also involved in demanding the money.

The Vigilance Court has now directed that a case be registered and investigated against Sanish Kumar Joseph, Rajendran Arangath and six government officials, after finding prima facie grounds in the complaint.

Allegations denied

The development has triggered a fresh political row in the State.

Mr. Arangath rejected the allegations and claimed that the complaint was part of an attempt to threaten and extort money from him. He said he would approach the Kerala High Court against the Vigilance Court’s order.

He also alleged that certain people within his own party were behind the complaint.

The case has meanwhile provided fresh ammunition to the CPI(M), which demanded a response from the Congress leadership.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] Thrissur district committee secretary K.V. Abdul Khader said the Chief Minister and the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) leadership should respond to the court’s direction to register a case and investigate the allegations against the MLA.

In a strongly worded statement, Mr. Abdul Khader alleged that the case reflected what he described as a serious decline in standards among UDF legislators. He pointed out that the complainant was himself an active Congress worker and said the fact that a party worker had approached the court against a Congress MLA raised serious questions.

The CPI(M) leader also referred to a recent court verdict involving another UDF MLA, Mani C. Kappan, and accused the Congress and the UDF of being mired in corruption.

He said the CPI(M) would launch a strong public protest against Mr. Joseph.