Kerala Congress leader V D Satheesan has slammed the Kerala Lokayukta for referring to the petitioner in the CMDRF corruption case against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as a “rabid dog".
The Lokayukta should withdraw the remark against the petitioner, anti-corruption activist R S Sasikumar, and tender an apology, Sateeshan demanded.
On Tuesday, while hearing a review petition, the Lokayukta chided Sasikumar, accusing him of defaming the Lokayukta by referring the CMDRF case to a full bench. The Lokayukta compared the petitioner’s remarks to those of a “rabid dog".
Meanwhile, the Kerala Lokayukta on Wednesday dismissed a plea to review an earlier order to refer the CMDRF corruption case to a full bench. Sasikumar had filed the review petition. A bench of Lokayukta Justice Cyriac Joseph and Upa Lokayukta Harun-Ul-Rashid dismissed the review petition stating that there were no valid grounds to review the earlier order.
The CMDRF corruption case against Pinarayi Vijayan was referred to the full bench of Lokayukta and two Upa Lokayuktas on March 31, citing differences of opinion between Justice Cyriac Joseph and Justice Harun-Ul-Rashid who were considering the case.
The CMDRF corruption case pertained to sanctioning Rs 20 lakh to a police official killed after a pilot vehicle of then-CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan met with an accident. Financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh was given to the family of a deceased politician, and financial assistance of Rs 9 lakh to the family of a late MLA, apart from giving a job to his son.
Published 13 April 2023, 01:13 IST