The Kerala High Court has on Monday admitted a plea challenging the order of Lok Ayukta rejecting a complaint filed against the chief minister and 17 former Ministers, alleging misuse of funds in the Chief Minister Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF) during the tenure of the previous Left Front government.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice A J Desai and Justice V G Arun admitted the plea filed by RS Sasikumar, former syndicate member of Kerala University. “We will admit it and consider everything,” said the Bench while admitting the plea.
The court issued a ‘letter’ under Rule 51D of the High Court Rules, instead of notice to Chief Minister Piarayi Vijayan, who is the second respondent in the case.
Besides the letter issued to Pinarayi Vijayan, the Bench issued notices to former ministers of the state , including – AK Balan, E Chandrasekharan,KT Jaleel, Kadakampally Surendran, MM Mani, Mathew T Thomas, J Mercykutty Amma, AC Moideen, K Raju, Ramachandran Kadannappally, T P Ramakrishnan, C Raveendranath, K K Shailaja, G Sudhakaran, P Thilothaman and Dr TM Thomas Issac. The court also sent a notice to the Kerala Lok Ayukta which was arrayed as one of the respondents in the case.
Kerala University former syndicate member R S Sasikumar has approached the Kerala High Court challenging the order of the three-judge Kerala Lokayukta bench which rejected his petition filed against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and 17 former cabinet ministers in connection with the alleged nepotism in releasing assistance from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) during the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) regime.
Sasikumar, in his appeal, has sought to strike down the verdict of the Kerala Lokaukta as illegal. He also alleges in his appeal petition that the Lokayukta is not allowed to say that the complaint is not maintainable.
The Kerala Lokayukta on 13 November last year rejected the petition filed by Sasikumar against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and 17 former cabinet ministers in connection with the alleged nepotism in releasing assistance from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) during the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) regime.
While rejecting the petition, the Lokayukta Bench comprising Lokayukta Justice Cyriac Joseph and Upa Lokayuktas Justice Haroon Al Rashid and Justice Babu Mathew P Joseph said there’s no evidence to prove nepotism or corruption in granting assistance from the CMDRF
It further said that the chief minister has the authority to pay the money and that the Chief Minister and the ministers have not committed any irregularity.
“There is no evidence to prove that the CMDRF funds were misused. The Chief Minister has the right to grant a maximum amount of Rs 3 lakh from the relief fund,” the Lokayukta said.
Sasikumar, in his complaint said the state cabinet had illegally transferred funds from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) to the families of NCP leader Uzhavur Vijayan, former Chengannur MLA K K Ramachandran Nair, and Praveen, the escort driver of the CPI-M state secretary who died in an accident while on duty.
He also said Uzhavur Vijayan’s family was given Rs 25 lakh and kin of Praveen, driver of late CPI-M leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan was granted Rs 20 lakh. He said that Ramachandran Nair’s loan liability of Rs 9 lakh was also given from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).