ED provisionally attaches Cong MLA K Babu's property worth Rs 25 lakh

Kochi: In a major setback to Thripunithura MLA K Babu, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has provisionally attached a property worth Rs 25.82 lakh owned by the Congress legislator. The immovable property was attached on January 25 under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, the central agency said on Wednesday.

The action was taken based on the ED's finding that Babu, who was the minister for excise, fisheries and ports in the Oommen Chandy-led Cabinet during 2011-16, amassed disproportionate assets during the period from July 2007 to May 2016.

ED initiated investigation against Babu and a few others on the basis of an FIR registered by the Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau's special cell in Ernakulam. The FIR was registered on August 31, 2016 and the final report came on March 23, 2018.

"ED investigation revealed that K Babu, being a public servant during the period from July 1, 2007 to May 31, 2016, acquired assets worth Rs 25.82 lakh which was disproportionate to his known sources of income and thereby committed the offence under Section 13(1) (e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and punishable under Section 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988," the agency said in a statement. It also said further investigation is under progress.

Babu was interrogated by the ED at its office here in January 2020. His statement was recorded and some of the records related to assets he owned were reportedly verified then.

Babu has not responded to the ED action yet. However, responding to reports of the ED case against him, Babu had said that the VACB report against him was fabricated. He said the VACB's claim that he had amassed assets worth Rs 100 crore illegally and the amount came down to Rs 25 lakh in the state agency's chargesheet.

Babu's argument was that the VACB miscalculated his total wealth by counting his ‘MLA fund’as income.

The ED action sounds further trouble for the Congress veteran who, along with the then finance minister K M Mani, was at the centre of the bar bribery scam which rocked the state during the 2011-16 Oommen Chandy regime. Babu lost the election from his stronghold Thripunithura in 2016 to young CPM leader M Swaraj in 2016. However, he made a comeback in the 2021 election wresting the seat from Swaraj. However, Swaraj has challenged the election result in the high court alleging Babu used religious symbols to influence voters during the campaign. Though Babu challenged the petition in the Supreme Court, the apex court in September last year refused to stay the high court's decision that Swaraj's petition was maintainable.

The ruling left front is likely to escalate the charges against Babu in the wake of the ED action. That the central agency's action comes at a time when the assembly is in session makes it all the more difficult for Babu.