Land scam case against me is baseless: Achuthanandan

Kochi, Aug 17 (IANS) Former Kerala chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan said Friday that the ongoing vigilance case against him for alleged misuse of office to transfer land in Kasargode district to a relative is baseless.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader said the case was foisted on him by the Oommen Chandy government.

"This case is a non-issue. It was not me who gave the land; the land transfer was done during the tenure of K.Karunakaran as chief minister. Now this government is doing its best to indict me. They have no evidence against me," said Achuthanandan told reporters here.

In January this year, the vigilance probe arraigned the veteran Marxist as one of the eight accused in thne land transfer case. Among other accused are four Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officials, including Sheela Thomas, who served as principal secretary to Achuthanandan while he was the chief minister.

Then revenue minister and Communist Party of India (CPI) leader K.P. Rajendran and Achuthanandan's personal assistant Suresh are also among the accused.

In June 2011, the Chandy government, after examining files related to the land transfer to T.K. Soman, a relative of Achuthanandan, ordered a probe by the vigilance department.

The cabinet also decided to cancel the land allotted to Soman, a former defence official.

The alleged land transfer took place at the fag end of Achuthanandan's tenure as the chief minister in early 2011.

Under government norms, land given to people in the defence category should not exceed one acre. Soman was given 2.33 acres. Incidentally, under the norms, such land cannot be sold or transferred for 25 years after allotment.