LIFE Mission Case| M Sivasankar Moves Kerala High Court For Bail, Calls ED Case "Political Hit Job"

M Sivasankar, former Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Kerala, has approached the Kerala High Court in the money laundering case related to alleged corruption in the LIFE (Livelihood, Inclusion and Financial Empowerment) Mission project, a housing project of the Kerala Government for the homeless.

The matter has been listed before the Single Judge Bench of Justice Kauser Edappagath tomorrow. 

A Special PMLA Court at Kochi had rejected Sivasankar's bail application on March 2 and extended his custody till March 21. The money laundering case emanates out of alleged illegal gratification obtained for awarding the contract work for the LIFE Mission's project for building 140 housing units in Thrissur district utilising the funds donated by UAE Red Crescent. Sivasankar has been under custody since his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on February 14.

In the bail plea filed before the High Court, the former IAS officer alleges that the arrest is a "political stunt" and claims that there is no direct allegation against him. He terms the entire case as a "political hit job by the Enforcement Directorate" using the professional privity he had with the Chief Minister of Kerala.

It is contended that the predicate offence registered by the CBI over corruption allegations does not even name the petitioner as an accused. It is also submitted that neither Sivasankar nor the State Government had played any role in the selection of M/S Unitac Builders and Developers run by Santhosh Eapen for the execution of the LIFE Mission work.

He has also challenged the approach taken by the Special Court to rely upon documents furnished by the ED in three sets of sealed covers. 

Sivasankar is also an accused in another money laundering case registered over the smuggling of gold through diplomatic channels in the Thiruvananthapuram airport. In that case, he had underwent custody for nearly three months till the High Court granted him bail  in January 2021.

The present plea has been moved through Advocates George Varghese Perumpallikuttiyil, Manu Srinath, and Nimesh Thomas. 

Case Title: M. Sivasankar v. Union of India & Anr.