All Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau findings that prompted the United Democratic Front administration to close long-standing corruption allegations against Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan regarding the Punarjani foreign fund initiative occurred during the previous Left Democratic Front term, Mr. Satheesan stated. Speaking after a cabinet session on Wednesday, he noted the bureau conducted no further probes once the Congress-led front assumed office. The claims involved collection of overseas donations to aid flood-affected residents in his Paravur constituency in Ernakulam during 2019. The current government decided to drop the matter on July 30, with the home minister alleging the earlier administration had filed a politically driven case. Mr. Satheesan claimed the prior government received a vigilance director report clearing the charges yet withheld it to use the issue during assembly polls. He outlined that allegations first raised in the assembly in 2021 led to a vigilance probe finding no fund misuse. Subsequent high court petitions were rejected by both single and division benches. Another inquiry ordered after he became opposition leader in 2023 produced a September 2024 report showing no evidence supporting the claims. Two successive vigilance directors found no vigilance angle, and the previous government had sought to transfer the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Detailed fund reports were already provided to the bureau, he added, describing the scheme as a potential model for direct sponsor-beneficiary links.
