Chaos in Kozhikode Corporation Council over embezzlement case
The Hindu
UDF councillors express doubts about clarification provided by Mayor and demand her resignation; fifteen councillors, including Opposition leader, suspended
Chaos prevailed at the Kozhikode Corporation Council meeting on Saturday after United Democratic Front (UDF) councillors staged a protest in the council hall over the embezzlement case.
Wearing black headbands, UDF members held a banner demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the case. They expressed doubts about clarification provided by Mayor Beena Philip and demanded her resignation. The commotion climaxed with the Mayor suspending 15 councillors, including Opposition leader K.C. Shobhita and deputy leader K. Moideen Koya, until the end of the session.
Chaos erupted in the council after the Mayor denied permission for adjournment motions by Mr. Moideen Koya and the BJP’s T. Rinish on the embezzlement case.
She explained the sequence of events leading to the discovery that funds were missing from the Corporation’s accounts at the Link Road branch of the Punjab National Bank (PNB) and steps taken by the civic body to get the money back. She clarified that it was the Corporation that first noticed disparity in accounts and brought it to the attention of the bank, quoting an email from the bank. However, the UDF was not satisfied with the explanation.
As UDF councillors refused to call off the protest even after the Mayor rose from her seat, she announced a break for the session. She later passed the 191-point agenda with the support of LDF councillors without discussion. The meeting was dispersed in less than an hour, but UDF councillors continued their protest around the Mayor’s podium, raising slogans. At one point, LDF councillors started raising counter-slogans, intensifying tension.
Addressing the media later, Ms. Philip said the Corporation welcomed investigation by any agency, and that a CBI inquiry was only a matter of time since the bank had demanded it.
Deputy Mayor C.P. Musafir Ahmed said the Corporation was satisfied with the inquiry by the bank as well as the District Crime Branch.
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