The Kerala High Court on Thursday issued notice to Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran, on a plea seeking a CBI probe or a judicial enquiry into the letter that was allegedly sent by her seeking a list of members of the CPI-M, for appointment to various posts in the Municipal Corporation.
A single bench of Justice K Babu also issued notice to the state government and LDF Parliamentary Party Secretary and chairman of the Corporation Standing Committee,DR Anil on the plea moved by GS Sreekumar, a former Councillor in the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation.
The petitioner, Sreekumar, in his plea, contended that Arya Rajendran and DR Anil requested the CPI-M district secretary to provide the list of party members for appointment to various posts in the health division of the corporation.
The petitioner sought a judicial probe or a CBI probe into the letter allegedly sent by Mayor Arya Rajendran and DR Anil to the party secretary seeking a list of CPI-M party members for vacant posts in the Corporation.
He argued that the acts of nepotism of Arya Rajendran and Anil are against the oath taken by them at the time of swearing as Councillors of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.He also argued that the actions of the mayor and the Standing Committee Chairman would sabotage the employment opportunities of thousands of qualified persons.
The petitioner further alleged that more than a thousand illegal appointments were made in the Corporation in two years. It has also been alleged that the mayor and the Standing Committee Chairman were creating a cadre for their party inside the Corporation by systematically employing the persons who are affiliated with the CPI-M only.
He contended that though the police had begun an investigation into the complaints lodged by the mayor with the chief minister, the real culprits would not be booked as political bigwigs were involved in the case.
The petitioner further said the investigation by the state police would not bring out the truth. In fact, an inquiry needs to be initiated by an impartial authority that would not be influenced by the political considerations and might of the state. The petitioner, therefore, sought a CBI probe into the incident or in the alternative, a judicial inquiry.The court will take up the case for hearing on 25 November.
A letter purportedly sent by Thiruvananthapuram mayor Arya Rajendran to the CPI-M district secretary, Anavoor Nagappan seeking a ‘priority list’ of candidates from the party for contractual appointments in the Corporation kicked up a row in Kerala. Another letter from Thiruvananthapuram Corporation CPI-M parliamentary party secretary and chairman of the Corporation Standing Committee DR Anil to party district secretary Anavoor Nagappan, requesting a list of potential candidates to be appointed for 9 vacancies at SIT hospital also came out last week.