February 19, 2011 2:39:42 am
Senior leader of the Congress-led United Democratic Front and chairman of Kerala Congress (B) R Balakrishna Pillai was on Friday jailed after he surrendered before a special court in Kochi,where the trial of a 26-year-old corruption case pertaining to the construction of a hydro power project had been held.
Last week,the Supreme Court had sentenced Pillai,the first accused,and two others to one-year rigorous imprisonment in the case related to the Idamalayar power project. Acting upon a review petition filed by V S Achuthanandan during his innings as the Opposition leader,the Supreme Court had reversed the earlier high court order which had acquitted the accused.
Pillai is the first former minister in Kerala to be jailed in a corruption case. Pillai,the father-in law of Union Shipping Secretary K Mohandas and Kerala additional chief secretary T Balakrishnan,sought A class facilities in the jail,a demand snubbed by the court. Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said Pillai would get all statutory facilities in the jail.
The third accused and Kerala Congress (M) state leader K P Sajeev was also jailed. But the police could not arrest the second accused and former state electricity board chairman Ramabhadran Nair,who has been bed-ridden for years.
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