Lok Ayukta registry refuses to accept plea

Thiruvananthapuram: The Lok Ayukta registry refused to accept a petition seeking reconsideration of its verdict in the case against the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues alleging nepotism and misuse of power in granting financial aid from CMDRF without prior permission of Lok Ayukta.
The petitioner, former syndicate member of Kerala University R S Sasikumar, approached Lok Ayukta seeking reconsideration of the division bench’s verdict after his original petition was referred to the full bench of the court. However, instead of receiving the petition on file, the registry said the particular petition can be accepted only by taking the clearance of Lok Ayukta. The petitioner had said the new verdict overrides the court’s previous order that there is prima facie nepotism and misuse of power in granting the funds from CMDRF in the instances mentioned by the petitioner. The court had also ordered a detailed probe, and it was later reserved for orders.
A year after it was posted for orders, the division bench comprising Lok Ayukta Cyriac Joseph and Upa-Lok Ayukta Harun-Ul-Rashid had last Friday ordered the case to be considered by the full bench, consisting of Lok Ayukta and the two Upa-Lok Ayuktas on a date to be fixed by the Lok Ayukta to decide whether the action of the CM and ministers as members of the cabinet can be subjected to investigation under the provisions of the Kerala Lok Ayukta Act, 1999.