Thiruvananthapuram: The follow-up investigation by the Crime Branch and the preliminary inquiry by Vigilance into the letter controversy in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation have come to a standstill.

The party-level inquiry by a two-member committee announced by district secretary Anavoor Nagappan into the letter that was circulated in a CPM WhatsApp group has also come to a stop. Even the names of the committee members have not been announced.

The High Court which has completed the hearing in the case that was filed by the former councillor of the corporation, G S Sreekumar, alleging violation of oath by Mayor Arya Rajendran in the issue, will deliver its verdict next week. The Crime Branch and Vigilance have taken the stand that any further action could be taken only after that. 

The Ombudsman for Local-Self Government too is waiting for the High Court verdict. The Ombudsman will hear detailed arguments on November 27 in the case filed by the Youth Congress.

The Crime Branch and Vigilance have not been able to trace the original letter till now. The Crime Branch has the power to seize the mobile phones and computers of the accused and examine them in the forensic laboratory. However, the agency has not done it owing to intervention from high places.

Protests too cool down
The protest programmes of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP against the Mayor are also cooling down. The corporation office and its premises had become a battleground for over a month owing to the protests.

Meanwhile, the UDF and the BJP have said that the protests would be intensified in the coming days and that they would not backtrack from the agitation till the Mayor resigns.