KM Abraham in CBI net for disproportionate assets; High Court orders investigation

KOCHI: The High Court has ordered the CBI to investigate Chief Minister's Chief Principal Secretary, KIIFB CEO, and former Chief Secretary K.M. Abraham over allegations of accumulating disproportionate assets. The CBI's Kochi unit will conduct the inquiry.

Justice K. Babu directed the superintendent of the CBI Kochi unit to register a case based on the complaint, the complainant's statement, the preliminary investigation report by the Vigilance, and other key documents. The CBI must take charge of the case and issue the necessary orders.

The verdict came in response to a petition filed in 2018 by human rights activist Jomon Puthanpurakkal, seeking a CBI investigation. Since the Vigilance already conducted a preliminary inquiry, the High Court deemed it unnecessary to repeat the process. The court noted there could be suspicion that the Vigilance investigation was designed to shield KM Abraham. The Vigilance must promptly hand over all relevant documents to the CBI.

A 2017 decision by the Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Court, which dismissed the need for further investigation, has been annulled. The Vigilance Court had accepted the quick inspection report submitted by the Vigilance without further queries. All proceedings related to this case in the Vigilance Court are now deemed closed by the High Court.

The allegations claim K.M. Abraham misused his official position to acquire assets worth crores. Complaints suggest he accumulated wealth exceeding his income during his tenure as the Finance Assistant Chief Secretary in 2015.

The court found discrepancies in Abraham's ability to pay monthly loans exceeding his salary. Abraham had informed the Vigilance that a three-storey shopping complex in Kollam Kadappakkada, valued at Rs. 8 crore, was excluded from property disclosures because it was under his brother's name. However, the petitioner provided the High Court a certificate from the Kollam Corporation verifying that Abraham owns the property.

Jomon also filed a complaint with the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary on May 25, 2015, asserting that over his 33 years in service, Abraham failed to disclose the assets of his wife and children in annual declarations submitted under Rule 16 of the Code of Conduct for Civil Servants. Abraham later claimed that his wife possessed nothing valuable. However, Vigilance investigations uncovered documents showing gold bought weighing over 100 sovereigns and other jewelleries for lakhs of rupees from his wife's locker.

"It is important that an honest and impartial investigation is conducted. The society should have faith that the proceedings are done transparently." - Justice K. Babu