Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala CPM which faced a washout in the recent Lok Sabha elections is caught in yet another imbroglio after an NRI investor was found dead in its bastion, Kannur.
On Tuesday, Sajan Parayil, an NRI businessman who had an agri-business in Nigeria, was found hanging at his home in Kottali. The 49-year-old investor allegedly committed suicide after the Anthoor Municipality inordinately delayed permission to his venture, an auditorium at Bakkalam.
The new municipality, ruled by the CPM, has no opposition as all 28 members are from the party. Moreover, there was no contest in 14 wards as the opposition parties, the Congress and the BJP, failed to field candidates. The fact that total votes against the party in the municipality are around 1,000 makes it a red fort.
According to Parayil’s relatives, he was depressed as the official permissions for the building, in which he had invested nearly 160 million rupees, were being delayed for six years now. The application for a permit was filed at the Thalipparamb Municipality on October 10, 2013, as the locality was under its jurisdiction then. Anthoor was carved out of Thalipparamb Municipality and CPM has more reasons to worry here as the chairperson PK Shyamala is the wife of MV Govindan, a member of the party's state secretariat who is in charge of organisational matters.
His wife Beena said her husband had been “severely depressed” in the last few days and could not even sleep. He was worried over the delay in getting the building number allotment. He was found dead on June 18, the day which the authorities asked him to appear in the office.
"He was under stress as the Municipality was not giving the certificates even to the marriages held at the auditorium saying the building had no license," Kallinkeel Padmanabhan, Parayil’s friend, whose daughters marriage was held at the auditorium on June 16, said.
Incidentally, top leaders of the party, including the district secretary and the chairperson, had attended the marriage.
“Parayil even came to Thiruvananthapuram to meet ministers for a building completion certificate. The building certificates were not issued despite the ministerial intervention. There have also been other instances when local leaders have abetted suicides of NRI investors. If this is the case, how will NRI investors come to Kerala? What security do they have?’, asked Dr. MK Muneer, leader of Indian Union Muslim League in Assembly.
After the suicide brewed political controversy, four officials of the municipality were suspended. "Municipality secretary KM Gireesh, assistant engineer K Kalesh, TA Augustine and B Sudheer (overseers) were suspended,” said AC Moideen minister for local self-government.
“Further actions will be taken after the investigation report. Culprits won’t be allowed to escape. An investigation team has been formed to probe the property. Other lapses will also be checked”, he said.
Parayil had businesses across 20 countries and it was his dream to set up a venture in his home state, too, to generate jobs, his manager K Sajeevan told local media.
No suicide note was found, but police have filed a case of unnatural death and an investigation is on.
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