Munambam Waqf land row snowballs into political issue amid by-elections in Kerala
Union Minister Suresh Gopi recently met the 610 families of Munambam village who are protesting against the Waqf board's claim over their land.
A team of the Income Tax Department on Thursday conducted a raid at Vaidekam Ayurveda Resort at Morazha in Kannur in which CPI-M leader and convenor of ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) EP Jayarajan’s wife and son have stake.
The unprecedented raid comes after the Income Tax Department received a complaint of money laundering in connection with the resort . The Income Tax team from Kochi reached the resort in Kannur and conducted the inspection. EP Jayarajan’s wife Indira is the chairperson of the resort.
Earlier in December 2022, at the CPI-M state committee meeting, senior party leader P Jayarajan had targeted EP Jayarajan by levelling accusations with regard to fundraising and utilisation behind the construction of the Ayurvedic resort.
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Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau (VACB) had earlier written to the state government seeking permission to investigate the complaint against Vaidekam Resort involving the family of EP Jayarajan.
Permission for investigation was sought on a complaint filed by a Youth Congress leader. The main demand in the complaint is that EP Jayarajan, as a former Industry Minister, made improper interventions for the family-owned resort, and that allegations of corruption, conspiracy and money laundering should be investigated.
It is learnt that the Enforcement Directorate ( ED) has also started an investigation based on a complaint that money laundering took place under the cover of the resort.
The ED Kochi unit has started a preliminary investigation in the matter. The complaint alleges that there is black money investment in the Ayurvedic resort through a Gulf Malayali, a native of Kannur. The ED investigation is on the complaint of a Kochi-based journalist.
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