Another Quick Verification against Mani

Thiruvananthapuram: The Vigilance and anti-corruption bureau noose around Kerala Congress (M) leader and former state Finance Minister K M Mani seems to be tightening further with a special court Monday ordering a Quick Verification on charges of corruption in the conduct of a mass marriage ceremony by his party in October 2014.

The order was issued by Special Court (Vigilance) Judge A Badarrudin in a complaint that the money used for the mass marriage was raised through "corrupt means".

The complaint stated that the 150 couples who got married at the function were given five sovereigns gold ornaments and Rs 1.5 lakh cash at the time of marriage.

The function was organised by KC(M) as part of its golden jubilee celebrations.

Vigilance had last week filed an FIR in a court charging him with giving tax exemptions to poultry farmers and an ayurvedic medicine manufacturer abusing his position as the Finance Minister in the previous UDF regime.

The filing of the FIR comes close on the heels of a Vigilance Court here on August 27 ordering further probe against Mani in the bar bribery scam case on a petition by the investigating officer.

Mani had to resign after an adverse remark from High Court in bar scam on an allegation by Kerala State Bar Hotel Owners Association working president Biju Ramesh that an amount of Rs one crore bribe was paid to Mani for reopening the closed foreign liquor bars.

KC(M) had recently left UDF following differences with Congress over the bar scam issue.