Vigilance questions former Kerala minister's relatives

Thiruvananthapuram: The state Vigilance Bureau on Monday grilled the wife and brother of former Kerala Excise Minister K. Babu. The ongoing investigation is into the acquired assets of the former minister which is said to be more than his known sources of income.

In September, the Vigilance Bureau had seized CCTV visuals from the bank where Babu's wife has lockers, after it came to light that she had emptied its contents.

The bureau also submitted several files revealing that former Kerala Finance Minister K.M. Mani gave exemptions (going outside norms) to a trader dealing in importing poultry products.

Both Babu and Mani have been under the Vigilance scanner ever since there were reports of their involvement in the 2014 bar opening case.

Vigilance Bureau chief Jacob Thomas, who is of the rank of Director General of Police, is tracking the case of the two ministers who were part of the former Oommen Chandy government.