Case to be taken up against Kerala CM by Lokayukta on Friday

Thiruvananthapuram: In a matter involving Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Kerala Lokayukta is anticipated to rule on Friday.

The incident is focused on the improper use of the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund. (CMDRF).

This case has been awaiting a decision for a year, and things have only begun to move more quickly since the petitioner last week asked the Kerala High Court for intervention.

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

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

Sasikumar alleged that the money was given to those who were not supposed to get 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 a Kerala Police officer who died when his vehicle met with an accident while accompanying then top leader of the CPI(M), Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.

Incidentally, 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 after the voting for the April 2021 Assembly elections had taken place.

So all eyes are on Friday when the two-judge bench of the Lokayukta meets.

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.

With inputs from IANS