Palarivattom flyover scam: ex-minister Ebrahim Kunju's bail plea rejected

Kochi: A vigilance court on Thursday dismissed a bail plea filed by former minister V K Ebrahim Kunju, arrested by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) in a flyover scam case.

The Muvattupuzha Vigilance court also dismissed a vigilance application seeking his custody but permitted the agency to question the ailing former minister few hours a day at a private hospital in Kochi where he is admitted for treatment of cancer.

The court directed that the investigating officers shall undergo COVID-19 test before questioning Kunju in the presence of his doctor who admitted him in the hospital.

After one hour of questioning, he shall be given 15 minutes interval.It shall be carried out without affecting any medical treatment, it said.

He is likely to be quizzed on Monday.

Earlier, the court, which examined a report submitted by a medical board constituted by it to assess the health status of IUML MLA Kunju, had observed that his custody cannot be granted at this stage, considering his health condition.

His arrest was recorded by the VACB last week at the private hospital.

Kunju, representing Kalamassery constituency in the state assembly, was interrogated multiple times in the past by the agency in connection with the Palavarivattom flyover scam case.

The Vigilance has alleged Kunju sanctioned interest-free funds to the contracting company, which had built the flyover, now closed after it developed cracks within a year of its inauguration in 2016.

The arrest came eight months after he was arraigned as accused in the corruption case relating to the construction of the flyover in the city.