Kochi: Former PWD Minister of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) V.K. Ebrahim Kunju, who is presently out on bail after being arrested by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) in the Palarivattom flyover collapse case, on Monday got relief when the Kerala High Court relaxed his bail terms which now allows him to move out of Ernakulam district. He was arrested in November last year but following his deteriorating health condition as he was undergoing treatment of multiple myeloma, he continued to be in the hospital. It was in January that the court granted him bail but he was not allowed to leave his home district-Ernakulam and this condition was lifted on Monday. He is named as the fifth accused in the case.
Kunju with his failing health did not contest the April 6 assembly polls, instead the party fielded his advocate son, but lost the polls to P. Rajiv, the present Industries Minister in the second Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet. Built at a cost of Rs 42 crore during Oommen Chandy's government (2011-16), the 750-metre flyover was supposed to last for over 100 years. It was opened in October 2016 and within three years the flyover started crumbling and had to be closed.
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The flyover was built by the Delhi-based RDS Projects for the state-owned Roads and Bridges Development Corporation. KITCO was the supervision consultant for the project. Kunju, was the Minister when the faulty flyover was constructed and became the fifth to be arrested. Already six arrests have been made in this case and all are now out on bail.
(IANS)
