Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) held raids on the premises of senior IAS officer and public works secretary T O Sooraj after the agency registered a case against him in connection with amassing wealth disproportionate to his source of income.

Separate vigilance teams raided his office in the state secretariat, his houses and properties of family members and relatives. Known as a powerful bureaucrat in Kerala, Sooraj is close to North Kerala lobby in CPI (M) and Indian Union Muslim League.

Recently, the Vigilance has registered a case against Sooraj in connection with amassing assets disproportionate to his known source of income. The raids were as a sequel to the case.

Vigilance sources said the search teams have seized documents showing his properties in several parts of Kerala. Besides, they have recovered hard currency of Rs 15 lakh from the officer’s house.

The judicial commission, which probed into the Marad Hindu carnage of 2003, had recommended that action should be taken against Sooraj, then Kozhikode district collector, for his failure in discharging duties.

However, the previous UDF government did not take any action against Sooraj, who had been working in Industries Department under Indian Union Muslim League. During the previous LDF regime also, he continued in the same ministry of Industries, then headed by CPI (M) minister Elamaram Kareem.

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