Giving some respite to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Kerala Lokayukta on Friday referred the case pertaining to the alleged misuse of the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) to a three-member full bench.
The decision to constitute a three-member bench was taken after Lokayukta Cyriac Joseph and Upa Lokayukta Harun-ul-Rashid had a difference of opinion. The date of the constitution of the new full bench will be decided later. The difference of opinion was regarding whether the Lokayukta could review the cabinet decision and whether the case would stand.
The case comes under Section 14 of the Lokayukta Act that states that if corruption and nepotism is proved, a public servant will have to vacate his post.
Pinarayi Vijayan, 16 ministers who were part of his first term (2016-21), and the then chief secretary are the accused in the case. The verdict was crucial for the chief minister as he is the only person holding power at present among the 16 ministers charged.
A former syndicate member of Kerala University RS Sasikumar filed the complaint in 2018. Sasikumar had alleged that chief minister and other ministers in his cabinet misused the CMDRF.
Sasikumar, in his complaint said the state cabinet had illegally transferred funds from the 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.