Shivasankar named 5th accused in Life Mission scam

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau's investigation was based on the allegation on irregularities in the housing scheme, Livelihood Inclusion and Financial Empowerment (LIFE) mission. The VACB also questioned Swapna Suresh in connection with the case.

Thiruvananthapuram:The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), in its report submitted to Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Special Court, has named M Shivasankar, former Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, as the fifth accused in the Vadakancherry Life Mission scam. Swapna Suresh, Sandeep Nair and Sarith are the other accused in the case.

Meanwhile, Swapna Suresh was questioned by Vigilance in the Attakkulangara women's jail where she is lodged in the gold smuggling case. The gold smuggling case was found to be linked to the Life Mission project. The links of both Sivasankar and Swapna Suresh has also surfaced that a fat sum of Rs 9 crore of the total Rs 20 crore project cost has been paid as commission.

Sivasankar was found to have received one of the iPhones given by Unitac MD Santosh Eepan. Life Mission CEO U V Jose's statement was also against Sivasankar. Vigilance will soon question Sivashankar in the case.

Read:HC dismisses CBI's appeal seeking early hearing on plea to quash FIR in LIFE Mission scam

On October 20, the Kerala High Court dismissed a petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking an early hearing on the petition filed by the Kerala government to quash the FIR in LIFE Mission scam case.

The CBI had filed an FIR in a Kochi court under Section 120 B of the IPC and Section 35 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 on a complaint by Wadakancherry Congress MLA Anil Akkara, listing Santosh Eappen, Managing Director of Unitac Builder, Kochi, as the first accused and Sane Ventures as the second accused.

Earlier, the CBI probe in the case was stayed for two months by the Kerala High Court on October 13 considering a plea filed by the Kerala government. The LIFE mission is a state housing project envisaging total housing for the homeless.