Vigilance probe ordered in corruption cases involving Kerala CPI-M

Thiruvananthapuram, July 13: Kerala's ruling Communist Party Of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Friday suffered a huge setback when a special court ordered a vigilance probe in two corruption scandals involving the party mouthpiece Deshabhimani.Responding to a plea by the Indian Lawyers Congress, the special vigilance court asked the vigilance director to register a case and inquire into the Rs.30 million corruption allegations.The first case pertains to Deshabhimani collecting Rs.20 million in the form of a bond from lottery kingpin S. Martin.The second case involves its general manager K. Venugopal, who has been expelled both from the CPI-M and the newspaper, following allegations that he had taken a bribe of Rs.10 million from a controversial private financial institution, which was closed down last year.