Achuthanandan used his political tenure to champion people’s justice. (image:x.com/IamB_Lal)
V S Achuthanandan, one of the founding leaders of the CPM in 1964, is well known for his strong stance against corruption. Throughout his political career, his integrity earned him the reputation of an anti-corruption crusader. The 101-year-old politician consistently and fiercely opposed undesirable stands and acts of the party, especially from the faction led by Pinarayi Vijayan.
His famous ‘Amul Baby’ jibe at Rahul Gandhi—and Rahul’s sharp retort—grabbed national attention. Moreover, as an anti-corruption warrior, Achuthanandan played a key role in exposing several major corruption scandals in Kerala.
Achuthanandan used his political tenure to champion people’s justice. He was involved in several legal battles, including the Palm oil import scam case, in which a former chief minister was accused. In another case—the Idamalayar dam corruption case—a former minister was eventually imprisoned. Despite delays, Achuthanandan remained relentless, believing that the truth would prevail in time. Among all his legal crusades, the ice-cream parlour case stood out, creating a major stir in Kerala politics.
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The first major allegation came in the Palm oil case—the very first case in Kerala in which a chief minister was formally accused. Palm oil, which was priced at USD 392.24 in the international market, was purchased for USD 495 per barrel without a proper quality assurance clause. The import was carried out through the Civil Supplies Corporation on the instruction of the state government, and interestingly, the transaction was completed even before the cabinet had made a formal decision.
A Vigilance investigation was ordered by the LDF government when it came to power in 1996. However, the trial had not concluded even after 19 years. The prolonged legal battle dragged the primary accused—former Chief Minister K Karunakaran—along with others, including Food Minister T H Mustafa, Chief Secretary S Padmakumar, Additional Chief Secretary Zacharia Mathew, Food Department Secretary P J Thomas, and Civil Supplies Managing Director Jiji Thomson, through years of legal turmoil and sleepless nights.
Though the UDF government attempted to withdraw the case by approaching the Supreme Court, the Court stayed the trial in August 2007. Achuthanandan, however, was reluctant to let the matter go. He pointed out that Oommen Chandy had been a witness in the case, and accepting his argument, the Vigilance Court ordered a re-investigation. While the High Court upheld the Supreme Court’s ruling, the case was eventually returned to the trial court.
The very next case that made a major impact in Kerala politics was the Idamalayar case, in which the Supreme Court ordered the imprisonment of Kerala’s then Electricity Minister, R. Balakrishna Pillai. This marked the first time in the state’s history that a sitting minister was jailed for corruption. The case involved a ₹36 crore loss to the Electricity Board due to inflated contracts for the Idamalayar dam project. Despite lower bids, the contract was awarded with a 188% cost increase under Pillai’s direction, bypassing proper procedures.
Consequently, Achuthanandan fought a relentless legal battle for over two decades. He pushed for a judicial inquiry and even went to the extent of filing a special leave petition in the Supreme Court after the High Court ruled in Pillai’s favour. VS’s persistence paid off as his appeal was accepted, and the Supreme Court sentenced Pillai to one year in prison, taking his age into consideration.
Yet another case that cannot be overlooked is the Bar Bribery case involving then Finance Minister K M Mani. The scandal ultimately led to his resignation from the post. The controversy began after a bar owner’s accusation during a private channel discussion, where he alleged that the minister had demanded a ₹5 crore bribe to reopen 400 closed bars. Following Achuthanandan’s complaint, a Vigilance probe was launched but was later dropped due to a lack of evidence. He challenged the decision in court, resulting in a re-investigation. Both the Vigilance Court and the High Court upheld VS’s plea, which prompted Mani to resign on November 10, 2015. The case remained pending in the High Court until Mani’s death.
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Achuthanandan was also actively involved in a legal battle over financial irregularities in a microfinance project run by the SNDP Yogam. Approximately ₹15 crore was allegedly taken from the Backward Classes Development Corporation and some banks at a 5% interest rate. It was alleged that a large amount of this money was embezzled by disbursing loans under false pretenses at high interest rates. In July 2016, Achuthanandan, exposing the scandal, filed a petition in the Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Court against key figures, including Vellappally Natesan and others.
The Ice Cream Parlour case was yet another scandal that Communist veteran strongly raised, bringing it back into public attention in 2011. He persistently questioned the issue in the Kerala Legislative Assembly and in public forums, demanding a thorough investigation into the allegations. The case originally dates back to the late 1990s, involving allegations that an ice cream parlour in Kozhikode was being used as a front for a prostitution and sex trafficking racket. Among the accused was Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader P K Kunhalikutty, who allegedly influenced witnesses to weaken the case.
Although Achuthanandan filed petitions in the Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court seeking a fresh probe into the matter, both courts dismissed his pleas, labelling them politically motivated.
