The Kerala High Court has rejected a plea against the Lokayukta's order, which referred the case of alleged misuse of the Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF) involving Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former Ministers, to a Full Bench comprising the Lokayukta and both the Upa-Lok Ayuktas.
The Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice A.J. Desai and Justice V.G. Arun, observed that due to a difference of opinion between the Lokayukta and Upa-Lok Ayuktas, the matter needed to be considered by three members, and the decision of the majority would prevail.
The case was initiated by petitioner R.S. Sasikumar, who alleged that the decisions made by the State Government, such as providing financial assistance to the families of late Uzhavoor Vijayan, late Advocate K.K. Ramachandran Nair, and late Civil Police Officer P. Praveen from the CMDRF, were influenced by corruption, favouritism, and nepotism. The Lokayukta, after considering the issue of maintainability in favour of the complainant, referred the case to a Full Bench. However, after a year had passed since the matter was reserved for orders, the petitioner approached the High Court again, seeking a stay on the order due to the delay in the proceedings.
Despite the petitioner's plea, the High Court declined to intervene, stating that the referral to a Full Bench was justified given the difference of opinion among the Lokayukta and Upa-Lok Ayuktas. The Court emphasized that it was not necessary to interfere with the Lokayukta's decision and dismissed the application.
The case was first admitted by the Lokayukta in 2019, and it involved allegations of misappropriation of funds from the CMDRF to benefit certain individuals and their families. The complainant, R.S. Sasikumar, had previously lodged a complaint against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other ministers, claiming misuse of the CMDRF. The matter will now be considered by a Full Bench to determine the appropriate course of action and the decision's outcome.
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