THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former industry minister and CPM central committee member E.P. Jayarajan was quizzed by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau here on Thursday in connection with the quick verification into the nepotism allegation. According to sources, the Vigilance team probing the nepotism allegation against Jayarajan quizzed him at his room at MLA quarters here. Mr Jayarajan was learnt to have justified the decision to appoint his relatives to top posts in public sector undertakings maintaining that the appointments were made considering their merits.
He also cited similar appointments made earlier, it is learnt. The quizzing, which was based on a set of questions prepared by the VACB, lasted for about two hours. Vigilance Special Investigation Unit - II led by SP K. Jayakumar is probing the case. The probe is likely to be completed soon as the Vigilance special court here had directed the Vigilance to file quick verification report before December 22.
It was learnt that the VACB had been seeking Jayarajan’s convenient time for quizzing for quite some time. Jayarajan was caught in controversy over the appointment of his nephew P. K. Sudheer. , who is also the son of P K Sreemathi MP, as managing director of Kerala State Industrial Enterprises and his brother’s daughter-in-law Deepthi Nishad as general manager at Kerala Clays and Ceramics Products Limited.
The appointments of former Chief Minister E. K. Nayanar's grandson Sooraj Raveendra as MD of Kinfra Film and Video Park, CITU State president Anathalavattom Anandan's son Jeeva Anand as MD of Kinfra Apparel Park and Koliakode Krishnan Nair's son Unnikrishnan as general manager of Kinfra also kicked off a controversy.
