Thodupuzha: Amid mounting controversies over his recent chartered flight and CMRL pay-off allegations, Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan refused to respond to media queries in Thodupuzha, visibly losing his composure with journalists.

Exiting a review meeting held to address land issues in Idukki district, the Chief Minister was confronted by reporters seeking his reaction to the flight row and the CMRL payment allegations. Satheesan snapped at the press corps, saying, “I am not seeing you, move aside,” and instructed the police to clear the path.

He said that the media crowd was causing inconvenience to attendees, including women, and noted that he needed to receive petitions from the public.


The political row orginates from the Chief Minister's use of a chartered flight to visit flood-affected areas in Nilambur of Malappuram. Allegations surfaced that Chipsan Aviation sponsored the journey. Kelachandra Logistics, which provided the aircraft, reportedly billed Chipsan Aviation ₹19,88,595, though it remains unconfirmed whether the payment was settled. Satheesan previously clarified that the state exchequer did not bear the travel expenses. 

During the previous government's tenure, Chipsan Aviation's helicopter was leased by the state at ₹80 lakh per month. With that contract having expired, the firm's application for renewal is currently pending state approval.

The Opposition argues that accepting corporate sponsorship under these circumstances constitutes a breach of oath. Addressing the issue previously, the Chief Minister maintained that utilising sponsorship saves taxpayer money and asserted he was not obligated to disclose the sponsor's identity.
The controversy further escalated following allegations that Chief Minister V D Satheesan’s name appeared on a list of politicians purportedly paid off by the private mining firm CMRL.