The state government has extended the jail term of former minister R Balakrishna Pillai by four days for giving a telephonic interview to a Malayalam news channel last week in violation of prison norms.
Pillai (76), is undergoing one-year rigorous imprisonment in a corruption case.
Last year, the Supreme Court had held him guilty of causing a loss of Rs 2 crore in a contract given to build a tunnel for the Eadmalayar hydel power project.
Pillai’s jail term was to end on January 2, but now he would be free on January 6, the government announced on Thursday.
His son, KB Ganesh Kumar, is a minister in the Congress-led UDF government.
The government had ordered an inquiry after the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) had stalled proceedings in the state assembly for two days, alleging Pillai was getting special treatment in jail.
The issue took another turn after R Krishnakumar, teacher of a school managed by Pillai’s family, was attacked last week. The RV Higher Secondary School is located in Kottarakkara, 70 km south of Thiruvananthapuram. Krishnakumar wife had alleged that Pillai was behind the attack. The LDF has linked the phone call with the assault.
A delegation led by Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan, who had filed the case against him, met governor MOH Farooq on Thursday, urging him to order a judicial inquiry into the matter.
{{/usCountry}}A delegation led by Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan, who had filed the case against him, met governor MOH Farooq on Thursday, urging him to order a judicial inquiry into the matter.
{{/usCountry}}“Besides the channel, Pillai made several calls to other ministerial staff,” Achuthanandan said after meeting the governor. He also said he would approach the Supreme Court.