The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s Chief Principal Secretary, KM Abraham, in connection with the amassing of wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The probe was taken over by the CBI following directions from the Kerala High Court, based on a petition filed by activist Jomon Puthenpurackal.

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The case has been registered under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. According to sources, the First Information Report (FIR) will be filed in the CBI court in Thiruvananthapuram soon.

Jomon Puthenpurackal had alleged in the High Court that Abraham allegedly owns an apartment in Mumbai worth Rs 3 crore, another flat in Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram, valued at around Rs 1 crore, and a three-storied shopping complex in Kollam worth Rs 8 crore.

Jomon claims that the EMI for the Mumbai property alone is Rs 84,000, while Abraham’s official salary is Rs 80,000 per month. Jomon further alleged that Abraham failed to disclose the source of funds for the loans on the Thycaud apartment and the construction of the Kollam complex.

The case had triggered a major controversy when the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) officials raided Abraham’s residence during the tenure of Jacob Thomas as the Vigilance Director. The IAS officers had responded with a pen-down strike in protest.

Then, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) had given a clean chit to Abraham, stating that the Thiruvananthapuram apartment was worth only Rs 13.56 lakh and the Mumbai flat was valued at Rs 99.75 lakh. It also concluded that the shopping complex in Kollam was inherited by Abraham’s two brothers, and no personal funds were involved in its construction.

In 2017, the Vigilance court in Thiruvananthapuram dismissed the plea for further investigation. However, in 2018, complainant Jomon Puthenpurackal approached the High Court seeking a CBI probe.

On April 11, 2025, the Kerala High Court ordered a CBI investigation into the matter, observing that there were deliberate efforts to shield KM. Abraham. The court also noted that prima facie evidence indicated possession of assets disproportionate to his income.

The High Court said, “Prima facie, it is established that respondent No.3 (Abraham) had movable and immovable properties disproportionate to his known sources of income.”

It also noted that the probe by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) in the matter “will not instill confidence in the public” and that the credibility of the inquiry done by it was “doubtful”.