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Kerala HC dismissesex-minister Jaleel’s plea against verdict of Lokayukta
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday rejected a writ petition filed by former state higher education minister KT Jaleel questioning the verdict of Lokayukta that found him guilty of nepotism and misuse of official position
Thiruvananthapuram:
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday rejected a writ petition filed by former state higher education minister KT Jaleel questioning the verdict of Lokayukta that found him guilty of nepotism and misuse of official position.
Following the verdict, Jaleel had to resign from the Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet last week. Later, he moved the high court saying he was not heard properly, and natural justice was denied to him. But a division bench comprising Justices P B Suresh Kumar and K Babu refused to intervene and dismissed his writ.
Jaleel, who is considered close to the chief minister Vijayan, landed in trouble in 2018 after he appointed his second cousin KT Adeeb as the general manager of the Kerala State Minorities Development Finance Corporation Limited flouting all norms. Adeeb was forced to resign after a big uproar. Later, VK Mohammad Shafi, a supporter of the Muslim League, field a compliant with the Lokayukta, which found that the minister had violated all rules to appoint his relative and he was not fit to continue as a minister.
After his exit, Jaleel on April 13 filed a writ petition in the HC to set aside the Lokayukta verdict on the ground that procedures were not complied with in the case. The advocate general also said the verdict was not as per rules and can be challenged. Even though the appointment was made on the direction of the minister, relaxation on eligibility condition was approved by the chief minister, according to details of the leaked files, seen by HT. But the high court refused to entertain his contention, observing that it lacked any merit and upheld findings of the anti-corruption body.
The court found that the Lokayukta was acting within the scope of its powers while arriving at the conclusion. “We are of the view that the petitioner has not made out any ground for the inference in the final opinion formulated by the Lokayukta under Article 226 of the constitution,” the court observed while rejecting his plea.
With the high court rejecting his writ, opposition parties stepped up pressure for the resignation of the CM. “The CM was a party to the whole crime. Relative’s qualification relaxations and appointment were approved by CM Pinarayi Vijayan. If he has some decency and propriety left in him, then CM should quit,” opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.
However, the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) kept away from the latest verdict, saying Jaleel moved the court in his individual capacity. “Jaleel has already resigned from the ministry. As an individual he has every right to question the verdict against him,” said party acting secretary A Vijayaraghavan.
Earlier, Jaleel was questioned by officials of customs and Enforcement Directorate on several occasions in connection with the gold and dollar smuggling cases. His phone number was found in the call list of Swapna Suresh, the main accused in the gold smuggling case. Jaleel later admitted that he called Suresh as an employee of the consulate in connection with Ramadan kits offered by the UAE consulate last year.
But his clarification invited more trouble, with experts saying he was not supposed to accept any fund or freebies without the consent of the ministry of external affairs. They added that it was a clear violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
During the investigation in the gold smuggling case, customs officials found that a heavy consignment came on March 4, 2020, in 31 bags, weighing more than 4,000 kg, which were taken to Malappuram. The minister later admitted that he took those packets to his constituency, claiming they carried religious books.
