Congress seeks HC-monitored probe into Chevayur bank staff recruitment

The Kozhikode District Congress committee (DCC) has sought a High Court-monitored probe into the alleged corruption in staff recruitment at the Chevayur Service Cooperative Bank in Kozhikode city, whose control was snatched away from the party by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] with the help of some Congress rebels last year.

DCC president K. Praveenkumar said that those who reportedly accepted bribes for the recruitment should be exposed. He said that the Congress would not let the CPI(M) indulge in corruption using the bank.

Meanwhile, Congress has also revoked the disciplinary action against some of the party rebels who helped the CPI(M) gain control of its administrative body in November 2024. These rebels, who were suspended from the Congress earlier, had contested the election to the bank’s administrative body under the aegis of a ‘Bank Samrakshna Samithi’. Of the 11 members chosen to the director board after a controversial election marred by protests and counter-protests, seven belonged to the samithi, and the rest were from the CPI(M).

Thereafter, two of the director board members, including bank chairman G.C. Prashanth Kumar, and some of the samithi functionaries joined the ruling party in February. At present, six of the directors are CPI(M) members, and the others are still with the samithi. The Congress has now decided to revoke the suspension against those who are still reluctant to join the CPI(M). The bank’s director board is scheduled to meet on Tuesday (March 11). According to reports, enrolling new members is likely to be one of the main topics to be discussed there.

Mr. Praveenkumar pointed out that legal protection would be provided to the non-CPI(M) director board members of the bank if they face any attack from the CPI(M) in the event of them raising objections against the board’s decisions. Legal action would also be initiated to prevent the CPI(M) from prolonging the board meeting till the night and tampering with the minutes of the meeting, he added.