KOCHI: The team of Central Bureau of Investigation officers probing the Kalamassery land fraud case linked with Salim Raj, former gunman of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, quizzed former Public Works secretary T. O. Sooraj on Friday.
Mr Sooraj was the Land Revenue commissioner when the alleged fraud was perpetrated allegedly by Salim Raj and his associates.
The interrogation of Mr Sooraj was held at the CBI office in Kadavanthara here. This is the second time that the CBI had summoned the former PWD secretary, currently under suspension in a disproportionate asset case, for questioning in the case. He was first questioned in November last year.
In the first round of questioning, Mr Sooraj denied any connection with the incident and said that he acted according to the information and reports received from officials in the revenue department including then Ernakulam district collector Sheikh Pareeth.
Sources in the CBI said they had not taken the answers given by Mr Sooraj in face value and he was subjected further grilling on the basis of fresh evidence gathered from the three revenue department officials arrested in connection with the case in Kochi. Sources said the three officials had confessed to their roles in the alleged fraud.
