Lokayukta orders probe into allegations against Jaleel

Thiruvananthapuram: Lokayutka has ordered preliminary inquiry into the complaint that higher education and minority welfare minister K T Jaleel had bent rules for the appointment of one of his second cousins as the general manager of minority development finance corporation under him.
Justice Pius Kuriakose directed general administration principal secretary to produce before Lokayukta all the documents relating to the appointment of K T Adeeb. The order comes following a complaint filed by Muslim League Malappuram district secretary and a voter of K T Jaleel’s constituency, Thavanoor.

After the controversy, Jaleel’s relative had quit the post. According to Youth League leader P K Firoz, the minister had bent rules and took special interest for the appointment of his relative, who had been working in a private bank when the minister hand-picked him for the post. The minister had been trying to fend off the allegations by claiming that it was owing to social commitment that his cousin agreed to take up the job, for which no other qualified candidate evinced serious interest.

The government counsel had early this week sought more time to study the case. Lokayukta, however, rejected that plea and subsequently, director general of prosecution Manjeri Sreedharan Nair appeared for the government before the lokayukta on Friday.