30-07-2025
VACB arrests 14 persons for fund scams in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) on Wednesday arrested 14 persons in connection with two major fund misappropriation cases involving subsidy loans intended for women from Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Below THE Poverty Line (BPL) sections under schemes run by the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.
The arrests were made during an investigation into allegations of widespread corruption in the disbursement of subsidy loans during the 2020–21 and 2021–22 financial years. The loans were intended to support entrepreneurial initiatives among SC and ST women in 2020–21, and BPL women in 2021–22.
Those arrested were identified as former Corporation industrial extension officers Praveen Raj of Kanjiramkulam and Shefin M.B. of Balaramapuram, Pattom Service Cooperative Bank manager Sony, Sindhu of Moonattumukku, Ajitha of Poonkulam, Sreekumar of Manacaud, Suresh Babu of Kazhakuttom, Anirudhan of Kovalam, Bindu of Thiruvallam, Aswathy of Balaramapuram, Aswathy of Muttakkad, Monisekhar of Vanchiyoor, Shibin of Balaramapuram and Vishnu of Kalliyoor.
According to official sources, allocations of ₹1.26 crore and ₹1.14 crore were sanctioned in 2020-21 for SC and ST women entrepreneurs and in 2021-22 for BPL women respectively. However, the funds were purportedly diverted in violation of guidelines, enabling ineligible persons to receive subsidies without approval by the local body.
The accused persons are charged with manipulating beneficiary lists, bypassing official protocols, destroying or removing key documents, and transferring funds to fake firms and personal accounts through the cooperative bank. A bogus firm 'Ashwathi Suppliers', created by Sindhu, played a central role in laundering the funds.
