JOIN USLokayukta refers case against Kerala CM to full bench
In a relief to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Kerala Lokayukta on Friday referred the case pertaining to alleged misuse of the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) to the full bench.
Differences of opinion among the two members in the bench comprising Lokayukta Cyriac Joseph and Upa Lokayukta Harun-ul-Rashid led to the decision to refer the matter to the full bench of Lokayukta and two Upa Lokayuktas.
"As there is difference of opinion between us on the basic issue whether the action of the accused in taking the impugned decisions as members of the cabinet can be subjected to investigation under the provisions of the Kerala Lokayukta Act, 1999 and on the merits of the allegations raised by the complainant, we are constrained to place this complaint for investigation by the Lokayukta and both the Upa-Lokayuktas together," the order said.
Congress and BJP leaders reacted that the Lokayukta order could not be considered as a relief to Vijayan as one member of the bench seemed to be of the opinion that the allegations were true.
The case pertained to the alleged misuse of CMDRF by the previous left-front government led by Vijayan. Vijayan and his then-cabinet colleagues were the accused. Anti-corruption activist R S Sasikumar filed the petition. The petitioner recently approached the Kerala High Court citing the delay in issuing the order by Lokayukta even one year after the trial was over.
The allegation 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 given to the family of a deceased politician and financial assistance of Rs. 9 lakh to the family of a deceased MLA apart from giving a job to his son.