Bribe for PSC membership, leader to be removed from CPM, CITU posts

KOZHIKODE: More information has surfaced against the CPM youth leader on the complaint of accepting a bribe of Rs 22 lakh after promising PSC membership. CPM Kozhikode Town area committee member Pramod Kottooli received the bribe. He will be removed from CPM and CITU memberships. The CPM has appointed a four-member commission to probe the allegations.

A homeo doctor couple complaint against Pramod for accepting Rs 22 lakh from them for the coveted post. They paid Rs 20 lakh for membership and Rs 2 lakh for other expenses in the first phase. His promise was that if paid Rs 60 lakh, PSC membership would be given.

After receiving the money, membership was not given and he later offered a high post in the AYUSH Mission but when that also did not happen, they filed a complaint against him to the party leadership. They also attached a voice message detailing the financial transaction to the party along with the complaint. Pramod has a close relationship with many top left leaders in the state. A four-member panel including CITU leaders is probing the incident. Pramod has not yet returned the money received. A letter was given to the party by many including Minister Mohammad Riyas on the bribery allegations. Riyas has given a letter to the party asking them to investigate the incident and bring out the truth.

It is alleged that the youth leader took bribes by mentioning the names of Minister Mohammad Riyas, Elamaram Kareem, District Secretary P Mohanan, MLAs Sachin Dev, Thottathil Raveendran, Health Minister's PA etc. The district secretariat is meeting today in the presence of state secretariat members to take action on the matter.
The incident came to light when the complainant doctor and the youth leader were summoned and discussed in the presence of some district leaders to return the money. Minister Mohammad Riyas, who came to attend a function in Kozhikode, responded to the media that he was not aware of the incident.