The Kerala High Court, on April 11, ordered a CBI inquiry into the disproportionate assets allegedly amassed by K M Abraham IAS (Retd), the Chief Principal Secretary to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
K M Abraham, a 1982 batch IAS officer, is the former Chief Secretary of Kerala. He currently serves as the CEO of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) and the Executive Vice Chairperson of the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council. The High Court has directed the Kochi unit of the CBI to conduct the investigation.
Social worker Jomon Puthanpurackal had submitted a complaint to the Chief Minister in 2015, alleging that Abraham had amassed disproportionate assets. At that time, Abraham was serving as Additional Chief Secretary in the Ministry of Finance. The complainant stated that Abraham had accumulated the assets during this period. With no follow-up action taken, Jomon approached the Court. The State Vigilance had previously inquired into the complaint against Abraham and dismissed it.
The Abraham episode must be viewed in the context of allegations involving several individuals close to the Chief Minister. Here are some of the major cases:
Veena Vijayan, daughter of Pinarayi Vijayan, is in serious trouble. An Additional Sessions Court in Kerala has accepted the SFIO report against her. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) can now register a case, and the Court may issue summons. Investigations by the Income Tax Department, its Interim Settlement Board, and the SFIO have found that Veena Vijayan’s firm, Exalogic Solutions, accepted Rs 1.72 crore from CMRL, a private sector company involved in mining mineral-rich sand, without providing any services. CMRL is also alleged to have committed fraud amounting to Rs197.70 crore. Further accusations suggest that CMRL disbursed funds to political leaders and media personnel.
M. Sivasankar, former Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, was imprisoned for several months in connection with allegations of money laundering, dollar smuggling, and more. He was also accused of involvement in the infamous 2020 gold smuggling case and a housing scam.
C M Raveendran, Additional Private Secretary to the Chief Minister, has also faced multiple allegations, including violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act and issues relating to Life Mission, the state government’s flagship housing project. He was interrogated by the ED in these matters.
With these developments unfolding, the BJP and the Congress-led Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) have intensified their campaign demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is also the CPM supremo. The Chief Minister maintains that his party will face all challenges. However, political observers note that this statement appears to have been made without consultation within party circles. As the supreme leader of the CPM in the country, the party is left with no choice but to follow his lead—since intraparty democracy within the CPM is, at best, ornamental.
