Credibility of Lokayukta in doubt after order in CM Vijayan's case: Congress

Thiruvananthapuram, March 31 (IANS) The Congress on Friday questioned the credibility of the Kerala Lokayukta, which referred the case of misuse of Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) against CM Pinarayi Vijayan to a larger bench.

Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan said, "This verdict is very clear that the credibility of the Lokayukta institution has been eroded. All the arguments in this case got over a year back and the delay for delivering the final verdict is not known. The petitioner had to approach the Kerala High Court for the verdict and we got it today. The former Lokayukta in 2019 had made it clear that the petition is valid and now again it is going to be sent to a full bench... It's strange."

State Congress president K. Sudhakaran said, "Long back there were speculations that a deal has been reached and it has now surfaced when the verdict came on Friday. If Vijayan has any scruples left he should quit before people throw him out," said Sudhakaran.

Senior Congress legislator Ramesh Chennithala said the very fact that there was a long delay in this verdict itself shows that Vijayan is guilty.

"He tried to bring a Bill to regulate the powers of the Lokayukta, but with the Kerala Governor not giving the ascent to it that did not happen. With today's verdict it is clear that he will become an accused as the case is a valid one," said Chennithala.

However, the decision comes as a temporary relief for Vijayan. Senior advocate at the apex court M.R. Abhilash said there seems to be merit in the case and now it's the full bench that will decide.

Earlier in the day, in a brief relief to Pinarayi Vijayan, the Kerala Lokayukta referred the case pertaining to misuse of CMDRF by the previous government, also led by him, to a full bench in the wake of a split verdict by a two-judge bench.

The case, awaiting verdict for the past one year, gained traction only after the petitioner approached the High Court last week seeking its intervention.

The High Court asked the petitioner to approach the Lokayukta, and it was after this that the Lokayukta decided to take up the case on Friday.

Public activist R.S. Sasikumar had filed the case in 2018, which pertains to misusing of the funds in the CMDRF.

Sasikumar had alleged that the money was given to those who were not eligible for the relief. These included the family of a deceased CPI(M) legislator, the family of a top leader from a Left ally who passed away, and also to a Kerala Police officer who died when his vehicle met with an accident while accompanying then top leader of the CPI(M), Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.

During the fag end of the first Vijayan government, the then State Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel had to quit following the Lokayukta verdict indicting him for misuse of official powers. But the saving grace for Jaleel was the verdict came only after the voting to the April 2021 Assembly elections.

The plea to the anti-corruption ombudsman was filed in September 2018 and the hearing ended on March 18, 2022. Since then the verdict has been kept pending.

This verdict is expected at a time when Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan continues to sit on the Bill that tweaked the powers of the Kerala Lokayukta.