Kerala sanctions a Vigilance investigation against former Kannur district panchayat president P P Divya under Section 17A

23 October 2026

The Kerala government on Friday sanctioned a Vigilance investigation against former Kannur district panchayat president P P Divya, her husband V P Ajith and former district panchayat secretary Abdul Latheef.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala granted the sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The complaint concerns contracts worth more than ₹12 crore awarded through Steel Industrials Kerala Ltd (SILK) to Carton India Alliance Pvt Ltd for prefabricated modular toilets in district schools and an animal birth control centre at Padiyoor panchayat.
The complaint was filed on June 28 by KSU state vice-president P Muhammed Shammas; the previous government had declined permission for a preliminary inquiry against Divya in an order dated January 21, 2026.
The probe will allow the Vigilance Bureau to examine the company's ownership, the rival bidders and related land transactions.