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The Kerala High Court has issued notice to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the petition by Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan that the court should directly investigate the alleged financial transaction CMRL-Exalogic illegal transaction.
Kuzhalnadan had demanded that the court directly investigate the receipt of Rs 1.72 crore by the Chief Minister, his daughter and the company named Exalogic in their name from CMRL. Kuzhalnadan had approached the High Court against the Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Court order rejecting the inquiry demand. Apart from Pinarayi Vijayan, Justice K. Babu's bench sent notices to his daughter Veena Vijayan and her firm Exalogic and the mining company Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL), MD Sasidharan Kartha, Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited of Kollam and Indian Rare Earths Limited. However, Kuzhalnadan reached the High Court after the Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Court rejected the demand for a probe against Vijayan over the alleged financial transaction between CMRL and Exalogic. Even today, the Directorate of Prosecution maintained that the inclusion of Chief Minister Vijayan as an opposing party while considering the petition was politically motivated. The court will consider the petition again on July 7. Meanwhile, dramatic events took place in the court on the plea filed by late RTI activist Girish Babu demanding a vigilance investigation into the transaction. Girish Babu's lawyer, who had earlier said that he was not interested in taking the case forward, appeared in the court today and demanded that his argument be heard as well. But people including the government opposed this demand. The court also clarified that the amicus curiae was arranged because the lawyer withdrew earlier. The court then decided to consider the two petitions separately seeking an investigation into the transaction. (ANI)
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