The Supreme Court made absolute the bail on medical grounds granted to M. Sivasankar, former principal secretary to the Kerala Chief Minister, who is facing money laundering charges in a corruption case linked to the State-powered LIFE Mission housing project for the homeless.
The Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and S.V.N. Bhatti passed the order after going through a medical status report from JIPMER Pondicherry recommending immediate surgery for Mr. Sivasankar.
The Kerala High Court had earlier rejected bail to him. The Supreme Court, on appeal, had granted him interim bail in August 2023 for the first time and continued to extend it.
The court had at the time rejected a submission by the Enforcement Directorate that Mr. Sivasankar ought to be retained in custody. The agency had said he would be treated in a facility of his choice.
Imposing conditions on his bail, the court had, in August last year, directed Mr. Sivasankar to “not go to any other place except the vicinity of the hospital and his residence”.
In March 2021, the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the main case, had alleged in the Supreme Court that officials of the Kerala government’s Life Mission project received kickbacks to the tune of around ₹4.5 crore in collusion with their counterparts in the UAE Consulate General office.
The money was illegally diverted by two companies, Unitac and Sane Ventures, from foreign contributions received to build homes for flood victims on over two acres of land in Wadakancherry, the CBI had alleged in the Supreme Court.
