Kerala CM Pinarayi in spot over counsel’s court appearances

Vijayan, meanwhile, has backed Damodaran, despite mounting attack from the Opposition. In Assembly, the CM defended him saying that Damodaran can appear for any case of his choice. As the legal advisor to the CM, Damodaran, he added, was not taking any remuneration.

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But the senior lawyer put the government in a spot again when he appeared as the counsel for stone quarrying units, which wanted the High Court to nullify the government directive that units should get environmental clearance.

In another incident, Damodaran argued for Congress leader R Chandrasekharan, who wanted a vigilance case registered against quashed. The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau are under the CM. The High Court has now sought the view of the vigilance department on Chandrasekharan’s petition. When contacted, Damodaran refused to comment on the issue.

Apart from the actions of the CM’s leader advisor, eyebrows have also been raised over the government’s decision of not divulging details of Cabinet meetings under the Right to Information Act. State Chief Information Commissioner Vinson M Paul had last month ordered that Cabinet decisions would come under the ambit of the RTI Act. It may be recalled that the CPM had vehemently opposed the previous UDF regime’s move to bring an amendment to the RTI Act to exempt vigilance cases against ministers and bureaucrats from the ambit of the Act.

Further, the decision to remove senior government pleader Susheela Bhat, who has been defending the revenue department in land encroachment cases involving big estate groups, has also landed the government in controversy. Bhat has alleged that land mafia was behind her removal.

“There is nothing unusual in it. The government can win the land cases even without Bhat,” said Revenue Minister
E Chandrasekharan.