Today, the Muvattupuzha Vigilance Court has denied bail to Kalamassery MLA VK Ebrahim Kunju in the Palarivattom flyover case. The Court allowed the Vigilance officers to question the former PWD Minister on November 30 but with certain limitations.
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption officers can only interrogate Kunju at the private hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment. The officials must all go through Covid tests and produce negative results before the interrogation. Moreover, they should present the Court directives to the hospital authorities and convince of them the need for the questioning.
The officers are allowed to question the former minister from 9 am to 12 pm and then from 3 pm to 5 pm. After every hour, the officers should give the accused a 15-minute break. The questioning should not, in any way interfere with the medical treatment, and that they must allow any medical procedure amidst questioning. The Court added that the officers are, under no condition, allowed to intimidate or pressurise him.
Soon after the VACB had trained their eyes on Ebrahim Kunju, the latter had reported medical issues and he was admitted to a private hospital in Kochi. As the issue reached the Court, it had constituted an expert medical committee to verify the situation. The team had submitted a sealed cover with the Court, which says that Kunju has cancer and that the chemotherapy he needs makes his immunity weak. They also added that he requires hospitalisation and based on that the Court didn’t allow Kunju to police custody.
