Former district judge P S Antony to probe Saseendran scandal

Thiruvananthapuram: A retired district court judge will probe the sleaze allegations against A K Saseendran, who resigned as Transport Minister.

A decision in this regard was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Wednesday morning.

Retired judge P S Antony will head the judicial commission to probe into the allegations against Saseendran and submit its report in three months time, an official release said here.

The state government had earlier decided to conduct a judicial probe into the charges against 72-year-old Saseendran, who resigned on March 26, after a Malayalam television channel released an audio clipping, purportedly a telephone conversation of Saseendran speaking in sexual undertones to a woman.

As soon as the scandal broke out, Saseendran resigned on moral grounds, but said his resignation should not be construed as an admission of guilt.

Saseendran is the second minister to quit after Industries Minister E P Jayarajan, who resigned over charges of nepotism triggered by appointment of his two close relatives to top posts in the state PSUs.