Lottery scam: Revised notifications issued

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The State Government has issued a comprehensive revised notification on the lottery case, including topics necessary for a CBI probe and covering all issues related to the case from 2004.All the issues raised by Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan as well as VD Satheesan MLA, with regard to the lottery scam, had been included in the revised notification. In the add-on notification issued under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 15 new issues have been included. This includes allegations of lottery king Santiago Martin's largesse of Rs 2 crore to Deshabhimani daily and the reasons and circumstances behind the live telecast of draws of outside state lotteries on Kairali, Kairali People and SS Music channels and whether there were any financial deals behind the telecast.Another issue that has been included in the ambit of the probe relates to the allegation of the nexus between V S Achuthanadan's son VA Arun Kumar with Cherry Enterprises and the lottery mafia. A new issue which will come under terms of reference relates to the allegation of sales tax evasion of Rs 5,750 crore during the 200203 and 200304 period at the instance of the higherups of the Taxes Department in collusion with government pleaders.The issues raised by the then UDF Government from 2004 before the Centre and later by the LDF Government from 2006 have been included in the new notification.In the first notification issued on June 18 after the present government came to power, 32 cases registered within the state on the lottery issue have been included.