Kerala’s Vigilance department has initiated a First Information Report (FIR) against Sulthan Bathery MLA I.C. Balakrishnan. This action is in response to alleged corruption involving cooperative banks in the Wayanad district, which are managed by the Congress party.
The case was registered following a detailed report submitted to the State Vigilance by an investigation team. This team, led by Wayanad Vigilance DySP Shaji Varghese, had previously examined the circumstances surrounding the deaths of former District Congress Committee (DCC) treasurer N.M. Vijayan and his son, with a particular focus on their financial dealings. The Vigilance Director has since approved the registration of this case.
Currently, Mr. Balakrishnan is named as the sole accused in this specific case, even though the broader investigation has also scrutinized other senior Congress leaders within Wayanad district.
Following Vijayan’s death, allegations surfaced claiming that the MLA had accepted bribes for various appointments within these Congress-governed cooperative banks.
Earlier, the MLA, along with then-DCC president N.D. Appachan and another prominent leader, K.K. Gopinathan, had faced accusations related to the abetment of suicide in connection with the tragic incident.