Rs 1 crore bribe paid to Minister Babu, reveals Biju Ramesh

Mani, facing allegations that he had accepted Rs 1 crore bribe from bar owners in connection with issuance of bar licences, stepped down as minister on Tuesday evening, a year after the scandal emerged.

Even though the Kerala Congress (M) had set up a committee to probe the conspiracy against its leader, its report was never made public, mainly because of the unstinted backing Mani got subsequently from Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala. However, by the time the CPI(M) dropped the move, things had gone out of the hands of both Mani and the government.

Meanwhile, crying foul play against the government, senior CPI-M leader VS Achuthanandan has demanded probe into the matter. “He had demanded Rs 10 crore”, Biju Ramesh told Manorama News.

Mr Achuthanandan shot off a letter to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau Director seeking a “quick verification” on the charges by hotelier Ramesh.

“It was me who handed over Rs. 50 lakh to Babu’s office”. Krishnadas Polakkulam and Elegance group owner Binoy knows the details. Biju had also said that the Hotel and Bar Association had mobilised Rs 20 crore from its members to deal with the closure of bars.

The Minister merely said he would press his charges and continue with the legal procedures and did not bother himself too much about the latter’s fulminations.

Ramesh on Thursday said his “next target” was Babu, and alleged that the vigilance department “played foul” with his petition that Babu too also a “culprit”.

I am deeply pained at his resignation.

On the fresh charges of bribery by Kerala Bar Hotel Owners Association Working President Biju Ramesh against Congress Minister K Babu, holding Excise portfolio, Chandy said “let it come”.

Rejecting the allegations, Babu said in Thiruvananthapuram that Ramesh had sent messengers to him requesting him to withdraw the defamation case filed against him for levelling such allegations earlier.