The Weekend Leader - Kerala HC initiates case involving NRI businessman's suicide

Kerala HC initiates case involving NRI businessman's suicide

Kochi

21-June-2019

The Kerala High Court on Friday registered a suo moto case in the incident in connection with the suicide of a Nigeria-based NRI businessman in Kerala .
The incident has become a major embarassment for the ruling CPI-M as the suicide has reportedly been provoked by the failure of the businessman to obtain the necessary sanctions for his venture from the local civic body headed by the wife of a top CPI-M leader. 

Sajan Parayil, 49, who hailed from Kannur district, hanged himself on Tuesday after a state-of-the-art convention centre he built by investing Rs 16 crore failed to get clearance from the Anthoor Muncipality in his home district.

Observing that incidents like these will affect the state's ability to attract investments, a division bench of Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy and A.K. Jaisankaran Nambiar took up the case and directed the Kerala government to submit all the relevant files by July 15.

The court observed that if government bodies delay giving sanctions to business establishments, then investors might not be interested to invest in such states, which will affect their development.

Parayil's wife, Beena, has gone on record that her husband was under tremendous stress, especially from the Muncipality Chairperson P.K. Shyamala who is the spouse of senior CPI-M leader M.V. Govindan.

The Congress and the BJP have already attacked the CPI-M and said the life of a businessman was lost because of the cold war between Kannur's two top CPI-M leaders, P. Jayarajan and Govindan.

Based on a preliminary report, State Minister of Local Bodies A.C. Moideen has suspended four employees of the municipality, which, the opposition parties claimed, was done to shield Shyamala.

Meanwhile, CPI-M Central Committee member A. Vijayaraghavan leadership met with local party leaders on Friday to take stock of the situation. Several other complaints have emerged against Shyamala.

The Anthoor Muncipality currently does not have any opposition party representative, as all the councilors belong to the ruling Left Democratic Front.

Following widespread discontentment over Parayil's suicide, Kerala Police chief Loknath Behera told mediapersons that the matter is being investigated to see if they can bring in charges of abetment to suicide in this case. IANS 



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