KOCHI: Nod for vigilance probe against Ernakulam former district collector M G Rajamanickam. The government gave permission to conduct a probe according to the prevention of corruption act. He is probed over the alleged irregularities in the taking over of 32 cents of land owned by Seematti Textiles for the Kochi Metro Rail project. He is currently the managing director of KSITIL.

The allegation levelled against Rajamanickam was that as part of fixation of compensation, additional benefits were given to Seematti. After Seematti agreed to surrender land at the rate of 52 lakh for a cent, a provision was inserted in the agreement in June 2015 to the effect that Seematti is entitled to claim 80 lakh per cent. Some portions of the land taken over from Seematti included puramboke (government land). The unnecessary benefit was extended to Seematti under the agreement that land acquired for the Metro project will be used for no other purpose of KMRL.