CBI takes over probe into Rs 7.61 crore swindle from advocates’ welfare physique

By Express News Service

KOCHI:  The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the probe into the Rs 7.61-crore fund misappropriation within the Kerala Advocate Welfare Fund Trustee Committee (KAWFTC). The central company e-registered the FIR at its Ernakulam court docket following a directive of the Kerala High Court.

The case, which was earlier probed by the state vigilance and anti-corruption bureau (VACB), pertains to anomalies found when the audit of accounts of KAWFTC for 2007-2010 interval was performed. The audit identified 16 anomalies and primarily based on a criticism, VACB registered a case in May 2018.

The VACB probe had revealed that Rs 7.61 crore was diverted by 9 individuals. As per the re-registered FIR, there are 9 accused individuals — M Okay Chandran, an accountant with KAWFTC, and his eight pals/acquaintances, viz Okay Babu Scaria, Sreekala Chandran, Anadaraj, Martin A, Dhanapalan, Rajagopal P, Jeyaprabha R, and Fathima Sherin. The funds had been transferred into their financial institution accounts.

The case has been registered beneath varied sections of IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
As per the FIR, Chandran whereas performing his obligation because the KAWFTC accountant entered right into a felony conspiracy with Babu Scaria and dedicated misconduct and obtained pecuniary advantages. Chandran transferred the fund collected for KAWFTC to the financial institution accounts of Babu and different accused individuals. 

Chandran and Babu had been arrested by VACB in January 2019 and later granted bail. Not glad by the VACB probe, C G Arun, president of Thalassery District Court Bar Association and a member of KAWFTC, approached the High Court demanding a CBI probe. On December 2021, the High Court directed CBI to take over the probe.