CBI to probe Kerala's multi-million-rupee lottery scam

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday gave its nod for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into an alleged multi-million-rupee lottery scam in the state.

There are allegations against agents of Bhutan and Sikkim lotteries that they siphoned off several millions of rupees in the last four years by violating tax laws and diverting unclaimed prize money.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice J. Chelameswar gave the direction for a CBI probe on a petition filed by Congress leader V.D. Sateeshan.

The court issued the order after the central government, represented by Solicitor-General Gopal Subramanium, agreed to a CBI probe. Sateeshan approached the court in March demanding a CBI probe into the alleged scam.

Not keen

Former chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan was keen on an investigation but his cabinet colleague and former finance minister Thomas Isaac opposed it. Isaac accused the Congress-led central government of reluctance in transferring power to states to ban lotteries.

Welcoming the verdict, Isaac said that one thing that should be included in the probe is the reason why the central government was not keen on it all this while.

"It must be recalled that in 2005 a public interest litigation demanding a CBI probe in the case had come up but the then chief minister Oommen Chandy [of the Congress] sat on that and saw to it that it never happened," the former finance minister said.