Vigilance recommends case against MLA I.C. Balakrishnan in Cooperative bank recruitment scam

SULTAN BATHERY: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has recommended filing a case against MLA I.C. Balakrishnan in connection with the cooperative bank recruitment corruption scandal. The move comes in the wake of a controversy triggered by the suicides of Wayanad DCC Treasurer N.M. Vijayan and his son Jijesh.

The recommendation follows an investigation led by Vigilance DySP Shaji Varghese, who has submitted the report to Director Yogesh Gupta. The probe was initiated three months ago based on complaints that bribes were taken in exchange for jobs in cooperative banks, which ultimately were not provided.

Allegations of bribery related to bank appointments date back to 2015 and 2017. The recommendation to proceed with a case is based on witness testimonies and evidence gathered during the inquiry. As part of the investigation, several political leaders and individuals were questioned by Vigilance.

The issue gained further political traction recently when N.M. Vijayan’s family publicly criticised the Congress leadership and MLA I.C. Balakrishnan after they were denied a meeting with Priyanka Gandhi. In a conciliatory effort, KPCC Working President T. Siddique MLA and A.P. Anilkumar MLA met with the bereaved family. The meeting concluded with a proposal to draft an agreement under which the party would take responsibility for the family's liabilities.