By IANS,
Kochi (Kerala) : The Kerala High Court Thursday gave the state government three months to decide whether to give the nod to prosecute state Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) secretary Pinarayi Vijayan in a 12-year-old graft case.
Vijayan has been named as an accused by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for irregularities in granting a tender for renovation of three power plants to a Canadian firm SNC-Lavalin in 1997. Vijayan was then the state power minister.
A division headed by acting Chief Justice J.B. Koshy gave the ruling on a bunch of petitions asking whether the state government’s permission is required to prosecute Vijayan.
The CBI last month wrote to Kerala Governor R.S. Gavai asking for sanction to prosecute Vijayan and the governor forwarded it to the government.
The court observed that since this issue is being handled by the governor and the state government, it is not proper on court’s part to intervene at this stage.
The court also said that the petitioners can come back if the government does not take any action in the stipulated time.
Meanwhile, reacting to the ruling, Leader of Opposition Oommen Chandy said Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan should not delay in giving the sanction to prosecute Vijayan.
“Now that the court has asked the government to take the decision, he should immediately take the decision because Achuthanandan’s opinion on fighting corruption is quite well known,” Chandy said.
With the assembly session starting Friday, Achuthanandan is certain to be put on tenterhooks as this would be one demand that the opposition would make everyday.