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A plea has been moved before the Kerala High Court challenging the clean chit given to Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and Manappat Foundation Chairman Ameer Ahamed in the Punarjani-FCRA Vigilance case.

The Punarjani Flood Rehabilitation Scheme was introduced by CM Satheesan in 2018 to provide assistance to flood-affected persons in Paravur while he was serving as MLA of Paravur constitutency and as the Leader of Opposition. The allegation is that Satheesan solicited foreign funds for the scheme and routed it through Manappat Foundation, in violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA) and Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business of the Kerala Legislative Assembly.

The plea states that Satheesan took a private trip to the UK in October 2018 to actively solicit foreign funds of £22,500. It is stated that then Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) Director recommended for a CBI enquiry after noting suspicious financial movements totalling over ₹1.22 crore distributed across the FCRA, current, and personal bank accounts of Ahammed. However, he was replaced and the preliminary report was closed claiming “no vigilance angle”. It is further stated that the corruption charges against Satheesan were dropped shortly after the 2026 Legislative Assembly election results were declared.

The plea refers to Section 3(2)(a) of the FCRA, which bars MLAs from accepting or soliciting foreign contributions, and points out that the recommendation for CBI inquiry was shelved and closed in blatant violation of laws.

“When a preliminary inquiry report finds clear evidence of wrongdoing and recommends a CBI inquiry, but the Vigilance Director subsequently overrules the findings of then Vigilance Director findings to close the file by claiming "no vigilance angle," it amounts to a colorable exercise of power and an abuse of administrative process. The Vigilance authority uses power for a hidden, improper, or unauthorized purpose while making it look legal on the surface,” it is stated.

The plea, thus, prays for intervention of the High Court to set aside the Vigilance closure report by invoking the inherent jurisdiction. It also seeks directions to the VACB to enforce the preliminary report evidencing wrongdoings by the CM as well as the report recommending CBI enquiry and to proceed with the same in accordance with law.

As an interim prayer, the petitioner seeks for production of certain documents related to the case in a sealed cover.

The case is listed before the Bench of Justice C. Jayachandran for consideration on Monday (November 16).

Counsel for the petitioner: V. Sethunath, Shamnas S.

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