Kerala High Court rejects govt plea to withdraw palmolein corruption case

On January 11, last year, the Vigilance and Special Enquiry Court in Thrissur had rejected the petition of Kerala government.

The case had hogged headlines four years back after one of the alleged accused and Kerala-cadre IAS officer P J Thomas was made the Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC).

Now, the case had returned to front burner when another alleged accused and additional chief secretary Giji Thomson is tipped to become next chief secretary when the present incumbent E K Bharath Bhooshan is slated to retire on January 31.

Earlier, the vigilance court had rejected the discharge petitions of Giji Thomson and Congress leader T H Musthafa. Late Congress leader K Karunakaran, the then CM, was one of the accused.

As per the prosecution case, the state had lost Rs 2.32 crore in the import of palmolein from Malaysia. The Congress government had decided to withdraw the case in September, 2014. However, Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan had petitioned the court against the government decision. In fact, the previous Congress government in 2005 had taken a similar decision, but the succeeding LDF government reviewed the decision and went ahead with the prosecution.

In 2010, P J Thomas was forced to quit as CVC as the case revisited him after the BJP protested against the appointment. In 2011, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had abandoned the vigilance portfolio after a court ordered the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to ascertain whether Chandy as finance minister in 1991 had any role in the corruption case.

In a related incident, Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan said Giji Thomson should not be made the chief secretary as he is facing trial in the palmolein import corruption case.