The state Vigilance Department in Kerala on Friday registered an FIR against former state Industries Minister and Left strongman EP Jayarajan in the nepotism row that cost him his ministership.

Jayarajan was named the first accused in the case which deals with the out-of-turn appointment of his nephew Sudheer Nambiar as the Managing Director of Kerala State Industrial Enterprise during the former Minister’s tenure. Sudheer is the son of Kannur MP and CPI(M) party veteran PK Sreemathi who is Jayarajan’s sister.

Criticized by the Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Court for showing procedural apathy in cases involving ministers, the state Vigilance Department has called for a detailed investigation against Jayarajan in its FIR.

Jayarajan had in his statement to the Department clarified that all he did was to write a note to state Industries Secretary Paul Antony IAS mentioning that the said appointment be made, provided all eligibility norms were met and according to standard legal procedure.

The Department in its FIR has named Sudheer and Antony as the second and third accused respectively. It has also recorded the official statement of Anthony in this regard.