KOCHI: Former MLA, CPI Ernakulam district secretary and state council member P Raju was demoted to the branch committee after the party commission found him involved in massive financial irregularities. Raju, who is currently a member of the district executive, has been removed from all elected posts of the party.

Another district executive member, MT Nixon, has also been demoted to the Kalamassery constituency committee. The decision was taken by the district executive meeting held yesterday. The District Council met later and approved the decision.

The income-expenditure estimate presented in the district assembly held in 2022 was not approved by the assembly. The investigation conducted by the committee comprising District Council members MM George, Adv. G Vijayan and Adv. Ayub Khan subsequently, found irregularity of lakhs from 2018 to 2022.

It was also found that P Raju, who was the district secretary during this period, and MT Nixon, who was the treasurer, were behind this. However, P. Raju complained to the state leadership that the figures were fabricated. Then the state council commissioned a special auditor and re-inspected and confirmed the irregularities.