Kannur: Vigilance department is interrogating KM Shaji MLA in the Plus Two class bribery scam case. Kannur Vigilance DySP, Babu Peringoth is interrogating the MLA at Kannur office. KM Shaji reached the Kannur Vigilance office by 3 pm on Thursday.

The case has been filed on the complaint that Shaji accepted bribe of Rs 25 lakhs in order to allot Plus Two classes for Azhikode High School during the tenure of UDF government. The statements from 17 people have been recorded in connection with the complaint before summoning the Azhikode MLA for interrogation.

KM Shaji told Mathrubhumi News that interrogation was just part of the procedure and that he was not worried about getting arrested.

Vigilance department stated that Azhikode school management has admitted that he accepted Rs 25 lakh as bribe from them. The management will have to reveal the source of this Rs 25 lakh.

The school management had approached the local leadership of the Education Minister’s party in 2013 for allotting Plus Two classes. The leadership asked them for an amount equivalent to that of the sum demanded by the management for a job position at the school.

When the party leadership asked for the money, KM Shaji intervened in the issue. Later, it was revealed that KM Shaji had taken Rs 25 lakh in this regard. This is what led to the complaint against the MLA.

The school later received Plus Two status in 2014.

CPM Kannur area committee member, Kuduvan Padmanabhan, had filed a complaint with the Chief Minister along with a copy of the letter sent by a Muslim League local leder to the party’s leadership. Vigilance found the allegations in the complaint to be true and started investigation.