FIR against Sonia Gandhi over non-payment of dues in Kerala

A compliant has been filed against Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief V M Sudheeran and former minister Ramesh Chennithala in a local court in Thiruvananthapuram over non-payment of dues in connection with the construction of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's statue at Neyyar Dam.

Leading construction company Heather Constructions, which on Wednesday sent a legal notice in this regard, has alleged that it was given a contract for construction of Rajiv Gandhi's statue and is yet to receive dues amounting to Rs. 3.5 crore.

The project was commissioned by former KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala.

Meanwhile, the Congress Party has rubbished the charges and assured to settle this matter soon.

"Neither any criminality involved nor any default of payment. Rajiv Gandhi Institute of development studies is a institute constituted under KPCC, they had constituted a research centre," Congress leader Randeep Surjewala told ANI.

"There is an ongoing dispute between engineers, who built the institute, and contractor, who executed the work. Contractor had filed a civil suit, issue is almost sorted out. Within 24 hours, all parties will sit together and settle the issue," he added.

According to reports, the Congress president had inaugurated this project in 2005. She had asked the KPCC to make necessary payment after the construction company sent a notice for non-payment of funds.

The company in the complaint claims that they have not been paid yet.