CPM to probe EP Jayarajan's links with industrialist Ramesh

KANNUR: The party leadership is probing the dealings between former MD of 'Vaidekam' and Thalassery businessman PK Ramesh Kumar and CPM central committee member EP Jayarajan in the resort controversy that has put both the party and the leadership on the defensive. The district committee will investigate and submit a report to the state committee.

The party is investigating how Ramesh Kumar, who was a ration shop employee in Thalassery, managed to make a strong business relationship with EP Jayarajan. The party thinks that Ramesh Kumar has received the help of many people to grow into a businessman with assets of crores and links with prominent political leaders.

Ramesh Kumar's growth started when he joined the accounting section in the office of MC Lakshmanan, a native of Kozhikode who was doing contract work based in Thalassery. Soon he became the manager of the firm. After Lakshmanan's death, the company was completely controlled by Ramesh Kumar. Later, the MC Group headed by Ramesh Kumar got the management of all the initiatives to be started in the CPM cooperative sector. Ramesh Kumar had contract work for all the institutions like Co-operative Hospitals in Taliparam, Thalassery and Vadakara and Nayanar Academy in Kannur. It was the links with EP that help him land contracts of these constructions.

Ramesh Kumar is very close to the leaders of all the parties including the Congress and IUML. The MC Group also built the Congress-controlled Cooperative Indira Gandhi Hospital in Thalassery. Houses were also built for some prominent political leaders of Kannur. Ramesh Kumar has investments in Mahe Dental College, a private college in Kundurmala, and several shopping complexes.

In 2014, Ramesh Kumar started a 30-crore Ayurvedic resort project along with EP's son PK Jason. Rumour has it that Ramesh started moving for another resort on his own which led to problems between the two.

Along with being sacked as MD of the firm, he was removed from the board of directors. But Ramesh still holds a good portion of the shares.

Vaidekam CEO Joseph revealed that the board is investigating the financial fraud committed by Ramesh Kumar in the construction of the resort.