Vigilance makes crucial move against P P Divya, seizes five files from Kannur District Panchayat

KANNUR: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has made a crucial move in the investigation against former Kannur District Panchayat president P P Divya by seizing five files from the district panchayat office. The files are related to contracts awarded to Carton India Alliance Private Limited, a company alleged to be a benami firm of Divya.

The Vigilance team seized the files related to projects worth Rs 12 crore from the Kannur District Panchayat. The action follows a complaint alleging irregularities in the award of contracts worth over Rs 12 crore to Carton India Alliance Private Limited when Divya was the district panchayat president. The Vigilance team took five files into custody.

The seized files are related to the construction of modular toilets and an Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre, among other projects. The Vigilance team plans to examine the documents before proceeding with further action. Carton India had received the contracts through SILK, a public sector undertaking. The investigation is therefore likely to extend to SILK as well.

The Vigilance North Zone SP is in charge of the investigation. KSU state vice president Mohammed Shammas had lodged a complaint with the Vigilance during the previous government's tenure, alleging that Carton India was a benami company of PP Divya and that corruption was involved in awarding contracts to the firm through irregular means. However, the government had not granted permission to investigate the allegations against Divya. The Vigilance investigation was ordered after the UDF government came to power.