Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan is systematically expanding the scope of investigations into decisions taken during the decade-long tenure of his predecessor, Pinarayi Vijayan, with fresh Vigilance inquiries adding to an already substantial list of ongoing probes. The latest announcements, made on 4 September, target alleged irregularities in bleaching powder procurement and at the state-owned Ayurvedic medicine manufacturer Oushadhi.

The Latest Probes

The Vigilance Department has been tasked with investigating an alleged ₹7.32 crore irregularity in the procurement of bleaching powder through the Kerala Medical Services Corporation. A separate inquiry will examine alleged purchase-related irregularities worth ₹2.4 crore at Oushadhi, the state-owned Ayurvedic medicine manufacturer. Both cases reportedly concern decisions made during the Vijayan administration.

Investigations Already Underway

The new inquiries join a growing portfolio of politically significant cases. An SIT headed by ADGP P. Vijayan is probing alleged financial irregularities linked to the proposed visit of football star Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team to Kerala — a case that drew considerable public attention. A second SIT is examining alleged irregularities in the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) examination system, while a third is investigating allegations of police excesses in Alappuzha. The government has also ordered a Vigilance inquiry into claims that Excise officials collected monthly payments from bar owners in Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts.

A Pattern Takes Shape

Taken individually, each probe addresses a specific allegation. Collectively, they signal a deliberate strategy: the Satheesan government is using investigative agencies to keep the Vijayan years under sustained public and legal scrutiny. The pattern is less about any single case and more about the cumulative political message being sent with each successive announcement.

Notably, this approach echoes the one Pinarayi Vijayan himself employed after assuming office in 2016. The Left government at the time launched scrutiny of Cabinet decisions taken in the final months of the outgoing Oommen Chandy administration, framing them as evidence of corruption and administrative irregularities. That exercise, however, did not produce the sweeping political or administrative reckoning that the campaign had promised.

Political Significance

A decade on, the political roles have reversed. Having unseated the Vijayan government, Satheesan is now revisiting allegations from that era through a succession of SIT and Vigilance investigations. Critics may argue the tactic is as much about political optics as accountability — a charge that was levelled at the Vijayan government's own post-2016 inquiries. Whether the current probes ultimately establish wrongdoing remains a matter for investigative agencies and the courts. Politically, however, the signal is unmistakable.

What Comes Next

The findings of the SITs and Vigilance inquiries will determine whether the investigations translate into prosecutions or remain largely symbolic. With multiple probes running in parallel, the Satheesan government appears committed to keeping pressure on the previous administration well into its term — a dynamic that will shape Kerala's political landscape in the months ahead.