Babu was earlier alleged to involved in the Bar bribery case, where he got a clean chit.
The Vigilance department has conducted a raid at former Kerala excise minister K Babu's residence in Kochi in disproportionate assets case, says officials. 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.
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. Five teams of the Vigilance officials, headed by two DySPs, 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 who was alleged to have been involved in the Bar bribery case, was given a clean chit by the Kerala Vigilance department in a Quick Verification Report (QVR) in a special court in February. It had said was no evidence to substantiate the charges levelled against him.
A Bar hotelier Biju Ramesh had alleged that Rs 10 crore had been paid as bribe to Babu to get favourable decisions in renewal of bar licences. According to the Vigilance sources, since it did not find any evidence against the Minister, there was no need to register FIR against him.
Following the accusations, Babu had submitted his resignation and moved the High Court which stayed the Vigilance court order on January 28. But the court had asked the director to complete the QVR and file a report within 10 days. With the High Court staying the lower court order, Babu later returned to the cabinet.
He lost to CPI(M)'s M Swaraj in Thrippunithura constituency in Kerala elections 2016.
With inputs from PTI.
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