KL-CONGRESS-TRUST

5 board members of Congress run trust arrested
Kannur, Sep 20 (PTI) Five board members of the Congress
party-owned K Karunakaran memorial trust, which was in the
news recentlyover the suspected suicide of a contractor were
arrested here on Friday in an alleged cheating case.
The trust got into a controversy afterMuthupara Joseph
(58) the contractor of the K Karunakaran Memorial Hospital at
Cherupuzha, was found dead with his wrists slit, on the
terrace of the building on September 5.
"We have arrested the director board members of the trust
in a cheating case.
Kunjikrishnan Nair, Roshi, Salim, Sebastian and Sacaria
are the arrested members," the investigating officer told PTI.
Police said that the cheating complaint against the board
members was filed by a former board member for allegedly
siphoning off the trust's funds.
The case was filed two days before the death of Joseph on
September 5, police said.
Joseph's relatives had alleged that the trust, which owns
the hospital building, owes him around Rs 1.34 crore and that
some Congress leaders, who are the trust members, had met him
on September 4 to discuss the project and the money they owed
him.
The relatives had also alleged that some of the trust
members had threatened him.
However, theCongress party in Kerala on September took
upon itself the responsibility of repaying all the liabilities
of the contractor.
The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee has also formed a
panel to look into the allegations regarding corruption in its
various trusts.
Meanwhile, the CPI(M) had rubbished the stand of KPCC,
saying that Congress, after being caught red handed, was
trying to give back the amount (to the family).
    The contractor was reported missing since the evening
of September 4.
    His relatives had lodged a police complaint, following
which a search operations were conducted, but in vain.
Police said it was a suspected case of suicide. PTI RRT APR
APR APR

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)