Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala has hit out at the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) after the Kerala High Court upheld the Lokayukta verdict in the nepotism row.
Chennithala said the Kerala HC upholding the Lokayukta verdict was a slap in the face of the Chief Minister and the CPM for defending Jaleel. He said the High Court has proved the opposition’s claim that Jaleel had resigned from the Cabinet out of shame was correct.
“Jaleel resigned from the cabinet after being told that the High Court will not give him a favourable verdict. The Chief Minister is Jaleel’s co-accused in the case. The CM bypassed his Cabinet and relaxed the qualifications for the post of the General Manager at the Kerala State Minority Development Finance Corporation so that Jaleel’s relative could be appointed. The High Court judgement in an indictment against the Chief Minister,” Chennithala said that Vijayan should move out if he has any morality left.
Earlier, the Kerala HC rejected Jaleel’s petition against the Lokayukta verdict. A division bench comprising Justice PB Suresh Kumar and Justice K Babu dismissed the petition without accepting the preliminary argument in the petition.
In the plea, Jaleel approached the HC stating that there were irregularities in the proceedings of the Lokayukta and that the order was issued even without conducting an inquiry into the complaint. The LDF government also supported Jaleel's claim.
Last week, Jaleel resigned from the post of Higher Education Minister. Lokayukta had observed that Jaleel has no moral right to continue in office as he has misused his powers and engaged in nepotism.
The Kerala High Court had rejected the petition demanding a stay on the Lokayukta verdict. Today, in addition to that the Court ruled that there was no mistake on the part of Lokayukta and so the High Court cannot intervene in the verdict.
According to reports, Jaleel sent a letter to the Secretary of the Corporation, proposing changes for qualifications required for the post. It is clear evidence that Jaleel had a hand in KT Adeeb’s appointment. Earlier, a leaked letter points out the direct involvement of KT Jaleel’s in appointing KT Adeeb as the General Manager at the Kerala State Minority Development Finance Corporation. He made the required changes in the post to include Adeeb in the list as well.
