ED's chargesheet in LIFE mission case blames M Sivasankar

KOCHI: The enforcement directorate has filed the chargesheet in the LIFE mission scam case involving M Sivasankar, former principal secretary to Kerala CM. The first chargesheet was filed in the additional sessions court in Ernakulam. The chargesheet brings into open Sivasankar's involvement from the nascent stage of the scam and says the former principal secretary enjoyed the benefits from the embezzled money.

The 60th day after arrest calls for a mandatory bail term, so the ED surreptitiously filed the chargesheet on the 59th day of arresting Sivasankar. The Rs one crore found in a bank locker related to the gold scam case is the lone mainour in this case. The amount was taken by Sivasankar to give the LIFE mission contract to Unitac firm.

The investigation is moving ahead into others including Swapna Suresh and Unitac head Santhosh Eapan, who is currently on bail after an arrest. Behind the veneer of the LIFE mission scheme, the team took Rs 19 crore as foreign funding, not meeting the norms set by the central government. From this, RS 4.5 crores were taken by Sivasankar as commission.

The case turned its decisive corner after Swapna Suresh revealed the chain of frauds committed by the former second fiddle to the chief minister.