Thiruvananthapuram: Former Kerala finance minister K.M. Mani had several prominent visitors on the day he resigned from the cabinet after the state high court’s order for further probe into the bar bribery scam.
Before Mani resigned late Tuesday night, the first visitor to call on him in the morning was Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
Then arrived state Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, who held a closed-door meeting with Mani, saying it was just a courtesy call on the senior politician.
Then arrived Excise Minister K. Babu, who is also fighting a legal battle against whistleblower bar owner Biju Ramesh, who was instrumental in revealing the bar bribery scam that eventually saw the downfall of Mani.
In October 2014, Biju Ramesh alleged that Mani was given Rs.1 crore as bribe by Kerala’s bar owners to see that the 418 closed bars in the state were reopened.