Kerala: Former excise minister's house searched by anti-graft body

Kochi: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau on Saturday conducted raids at the residences of former Kerala excise minister K Babu and his two daughters in connection with a disproportionate assets case against the Congress leader.

Vigilance officials said raids are also being conducted at the residences of two of his friends -- Baburam and Mohanan -- at Vyttila and Kumbalam in Ernakulam district.

Babu, who had a controversial stint as the state Excise Minister in the previous Oommen Chandy-led UDF government, had resigned after a Thrissur court ordered the Vigilance department to register an FIR against him in the bar bribery scam. He was later reinstated in the post.

The searches are being conducted at Babu's residence in Thrippunithura and his daughters' residences in Palarivattam in Ernakulam district and Thodupuzha in Idukki district, officials said.

Five teams of the Vigilance officials, headed by two Deputy SPs, from Vigilance special cell, Ernakulam began the searches at 8 am, they said.

Officials said the raids were being conducted after an FIR was registered based on a complaint filed by an Thrippunithura-based anti-corruption organisation against the former minister.

Babu had lost the Thrippunithura Assembly seat to M Swaraj of CPI(M) in the elections held in May this year.