Former Principal Secretary to Kerala CM Shivshankar detained by ED

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken into custody M Sivasankar, former principal secretary to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in connection with alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act in the 'Life Mission' project. Officials said that Shivshankar is being interrogated by the Central Investigation Agency here for the last three days and he was taken into custody on Tuesday night. Sources said that his custody would be registered soon and the former bureaucrat would be produced in the court on Wednesday after medical examination.

Shivshankar retired on 31 January. He was earlier arrested in a gold smuggling case involving diplomatic goods at the UAE (United Arab Emirates) consulate. The 'Life Mission Project' aims to provide housing for the poor in Vadakkanchery, Thrissur district of Kerala.

The CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) registered a case under Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code and Section 35 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010 in a court in Kochi in 2020 on the complaint of Anil Akkara, the then MLA from Wadkancherry and Congress leader. An FIR was registered in which Santhosh Appan, managing director of Kochi-based 'Unitech Builder' was listed as the first accused and 'Sane Ventures' as the second accused.

Both of these companies were built on the basis of an agreement with the international humanitarian organization 'Red Crescent'. 'Red Crescent' had agreed to provide Rs 20 crore for the 'Life Mission' project. Akkara and the Congress party allege that there was corruption in the selection of the contractor by the Red Crescent.