Palmolein case trial to begin on January 25

The Supreme Court had yesterday vacated the stay on the trial of the palmolein case,he said,adding official communication from the apex court was yet to be received.

It was also pointed out that all documents related to the case were with the Supreme Court,which cleared the decks for the Kerala court to proceed with the trial in the 10-year-old case.

Judge S Jagadeesh posted the case to January 25 before which the records were expected from the apex court,which has also treated as “abated” (ended) Karunakaran’s appeal challenging the trial following his death on December 23 last.

The case is about Rs 2.32 crore loss allegedly caused to the exchequer by palmolein oil import in 1991-92 when Karunarakan was chief minister and P J Thomas Food Secretary and Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation Board member.

Thomas figures as the eighth accused in the chargesheet filed by the Vigilance and the Anti-corruption Bureau in 2003.

According to the chargesheet filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code,the accused caused the exchequer a loss of Rs 2.32 crore by importing palmolein through a Malaysia-based firm at exorbitant rates.

Former Food Minister and Congress leader T H Musthafa,former chief secretary S Padmakumar,former Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation chairman Zachariah Mathew,former KSCSC managing director Jiji Thomson and two representatives of the Malaysia-based Power and Energy Ltd are the other accused in the case.

The Kerala government had moved the apex court on December 14 seeking the vacation of the stay granted by the latter on August 3,2007. The stay was granted after Karunakaran filed the appeal challenging the trial.

Asked about the Supreme Court’s decision,Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan told reporters,”This a matter concerning the court,which has its own procedures. It is not proper on the part of the petitioner or the accused to comment on the procedures of the court.”