Whistleblower petitions CM Vijayan against top aide Abraham now facing CBI probe

Thiruvananthapuram, April 19 (IANS) Days after K.M. Abraham -- Chief Principal Secretary to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former Chief Secretary -- wrote to the CM demanding a probe into alleged conspiracy by public activist Jemon Puthenpurackal and two others, the whistleblower has hit back, warning Vijayan against taking any such step.

In his letter to the Chief Minister on Saturday, Puthenpurackal pointed out that the Kerala High Court had already ordered a CBI probe into Abraham’s alleged amassment of wealth -- based on his petition. He argued that any parallel probe initiated by the state government, as sought by Abraham, would be “illegal and procedurally invalid.”

The Kerala High Court last week ordered a CBI investigation into Abraham after nearly a decade-long legal battle led by Puthenpurackal.

Amid growing calls for his resignation, Abraham, who currently serves as CEO of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), addressed speculation in his Vishu message to KIIFB staff, saying he would leave the decision on his future to the Chief Minister.

CM Vijayan, who had earlier taken a hard stance that no official would be removed based on mere allegations, appeared to soften his position. Reacting to the court-ordered probe against his trusted aide, Vijayan said Abraham too “has grievances” and is pursuing legal options -- hinting he might not act immediately.

In response, Puthenpurackal cautioned the Chief Minister against falling in line with Abraham’s request, calling it an attempt to dilute or derail the CBI probe. “This is a cover-up move,” the activist alleged.

Abraham, 66, retired as Chief Secretary in 2017 and has since remained one of Vijayan’s closest advisors. With letters from both Abraham and Puthenpurackal now before him, the Chief Minister finds himself at the centre of a political and legal storm -- even as CBI sleuths are expected to soon serve a notice to Abraham, who is likely to move division bench of the High Court or the Supreme Court seeking to quash the High Court’s single bench order.

--IANS

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