Kerala: CM relief fund ‘misuse’ case goes to full Lokayukta bench

When the case was taken up on Friday, Lokayukta Justice Cyriac Joseph and Upa Lokayukta Haroon Ul-Rasheed referred the matter to a three-member full bench.

Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala government, Thiruvananthapuram, Lokayukta, Indian Express, India news, current affairs

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. (File photo)

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In some respite for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Kerala Lokayukta Friday referred to a larger bench a case pertaining to alleged nepotism and anomalies in releasing aid from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) during the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) regime.

When the case was taken up on Friday, Lokayukta Justice Cyriac Joseph and Upa Lokayukta Haroon Ul-Rasheed referred the matter to a three-member full bench.

The Lokayukta order said: “As there is difference of opinion between us on the basic issue whether the action of respondents (Vijayan and his Cabinet colleagues from 2016 to 2021) in taking the impugned decisions as members of the Cabinet can be subjected to investigation under the provisions of the Kerala Lokayukta Act, and on the merits of the allegations, we are constrained to place this complaint for investigation by the Lokayukta and both the Upa Lokayuktas as per section 7(1) of the Kerala Lok Ayukta Act.’’

A final verdict in the case is much awaited in the state’s political circles as the anti-corruption body had completed its hearing in March last year and the verdict was reserved. Last week, petitioner R S Sasikumar moved the high court alleging that the delay in the verdict was “intriguing and a denial of natural justice”.

It was in 2018 that Sasikumar, a former Syndicate member of Kerala University, complained against Vijayan and his then 17 Cabinet colleagues in the government with regard to the misuse of CMDRF. At present, only Vijayan remains in office among the respondents.

The crux of the petition was that the government had allegedly allotted Rs 25 lakh to the family of the NCP leader late Uzhavoor Vijayan. It was also alleged that the family of the late CPI(M) legislator Ramachandran Nair was given Rs 8.5 lakh from the CMDRF towards the cost of repaying a gold loan and vehicle loan and that Nair’s son was given a job with the state electricity board. In another alleged violation, Rs 20 lakh was given to the wife of a civil police officer who died in an accident while on escort duty for Kodiyeri Balakrishnan who was the CPI(M) state secretary then.

Shaju Philip

Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More

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