Kerala CM’s ex-principal secy M Sivasankar, arrested in Life Mission case, admitted to hospital

Kochi: M Sivasankar, the former principal secretary to Kerala chief minister, was on Saturday night admitted at the Government Medical College Hospital here after he complained of uneasiness, sources said.

He has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate which is probing an alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulations) Act in the Life Mission, a flagship housing project of the state government. Sivasankar was remanded in judicial custody till March 21.

Government Medical College sources said Sivasankar was admitted to the prison cell of the hospital.

The CBI had in 2020 filed an FIR in a Kochi court under Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code and Section 35 of FCRA on a complaint by then Congress MLA Anil Akkara, listing Santosh Eappen, the Managing Director of Unitac Builder, as the first accused and Sane Ventures as second accused.

The two companies had undertaken the construction based on the agreement entered with them by Red Crescent, an international humanitarian movement, which had agreed to provide Rs 20 crore towards the Life Mission project.

The Congress has been alleging that there was corruption in the selection of the contractor by Red Crescent.

However, the Life Mission CEO had submitted before the court that Unitac and Sane Ventures had undertaken the construction based on the agreement entered into with them by Red Crescent and had directly accepted foreign contributions from Red Crescent, which is a foreign agency.

The CEO has also contended that the companies which signed an agreement with the Red Crescent do not come under the categories of persons prohibited from receiving any foreign contribution as per Section 3 of FCRA.