Vigilance quizzed K Babu's personal assistant

KOCHI: Vigilance and anti-corruption bureau (VACB) officials on Monday interrogated Nandakumar who was a personal assistant of K Babu when he was the excise minister. The interrogation was done as part of the disproportionate assets case registered against Babu.

Though Nandakumar’s house was also raided along with the houses of Babu, his daughters and suspected benamis, the vigilance team could not find anything suspicious.

According to vigilance officers, Nandakumar’s wife is runs a financial enterprise at Tripunithura which will also be covered in the investigation. Nandakumar has told vigilance sleuths that the enterprise was started by his wife’s family. Nandakumar was asked whether Babu had any stake in the enterprise.

On Monday, vigilance submitted documents and materials seized during Saturday’s raid before the court. Apart from over 100 documents seized from the houses of Babu, his suspected benamis and daughters, were gold and money seized during the raid.

As the officer in charge of the section was on leave, the items were returned to the vigilance team which has been asked to submit them again on Tuesday. While Rs 1.5 lakh and 180g of gold was seized from Babu’s residence, Rs 6.6 lakh was seized from the house of his suspected benami Mohanan of Tripunithura during the raid on Saturday.