Kochi: Former managing director of public sector Malabar Cements Limited, Mr M. Sundaramoorthy, has given a confessional statement before the Ernakulam first class judicial magistrate that former industries minister Elamaram Kareem had had close links with Mr V. M. Radhakrishnan, who is accused in several vigilance and criminal cases.
The former technocrat also said he was the conduit for transaction of money between Mr Radhakrishnan and the former minister. The statement, made under Section 164 of the CrPC, makes a retraction self-incriminating.
In his statement before magistrate V. G. Biju on April 8, 2013 as part of the investigation into the death of MCL former company secretary V. Saseendran and his two minor children, Mr Sundaramoorthy said he had "handed over a cover to the minister" which he received from Mr P. Anandan, an associate of Mr Radhakrishnan. The cover contained what he thought to be "preferably cash".
"On August 2010 during the visit of the honourable minister for industries and commerce for inaugurating the sales office at Walayar, a sealed cover has been (sic) handed over to me from Mr Radhakrishnan by his associate Mr P. Anandan to hand over the cover to the minister. I do not know what was inside, but preferably cash might be inside," Mr Sundaramoorthy said in his statement before the magistrate.
Deccan Chronicle is in possession of the relevant parts of the statement. Mr Sundaramoorthy had in a statement to Mr K. Padmakumar, who succeeded him as MCL managing director, stated that he "understood the parcel" he handed over to the minister was money.
Mr Padmakumar forwarded the statement, which also had references to the circumstances that led to the death of Saseendran and his sons, to the CBI, which was probing the case.
The CBI, under instructions from the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate, got Mr Sundaramoorthy to give his statement before the magistrate, which has legal sanctity. Mr Sundaramoorthy, along with Mr Radhakrishnan and former MCL executive secretary P. Suryanarayana, was an accused in the case for "abetting the suicide" of Saseendran and his sons.
