Land scam case against me is baseless: Achuthanandan

Follow us:WhatsappFacebookTwitterTelegram.cls-1{fill:#4d4d4d;}.cls-2{fill:#fff;}Google NewsFormer Kerala chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan said Fridaythat the ongoing vigilance case against him for alleged misuse of office totransfer land in Kasargode district to a relative is baseless.The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader said thecase was foisted on him by the Oommen Chandy government."This case is a non-issue. It was not me who gave theland; the land transfer was done during the tenure of K.Karunakaran as chiefminister. Now this government is doing its best to indict me. They have noevidence against me," said Achuthanandan told reporters here.In January this year, the vigilance probe arraigned theveteran Marxist as one of the eight accused in thne land transfer case. Amongother accused are four Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officials, includingSheela Thomas, who served as principal secretary to Achuthanandan while he wasthe chief minister.Then revenue minister and Communist Party of India (CPI)leader K.P. Rajendran and Achuthanandan's personal assistant Suresh are alsoamong the accused.In June 2011, the Chandy government, after examining filesrelated to the land transfer to T.K. Soman, a relative of Achuthanandan, ordereda probe by the vigilance department.The cabinet also decided to cancel the land allotted toSoman, a former defence official.The alleged land transfer took place at the fag end ofAchuthanandan's tenure as the chief minister in early 2011.Under government norms, land given to people in the defencecategory should not exceed one acre. Soman was given 2.33 acres. Incidentally,under the norms, such land cannot be sold or transferred for 25 years afterallotment.first published:January 01, 1970, 05:30 ISTlast updated:January 01, 1970, 05:30 IST
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