HC stays Vigilance Court order on FIR against Kerala CM,Minister
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Students and youth activists on Friday staged protests in front of the Secretariat here and in other parts of the state demanding resignation of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who is facing allegations in the solar scam, even as police used tear gas shells and water cannons to disperse the agitators. Protests were witnessed in other parts of the state, including Kozhikode and Alappuzha. The protest march by DYFI, the youth wing of CPI(M), turned violent here following which police used tear gas shells and batons to chase away the agitators, who gathered in large numbers and pelted stones at the forces, police said. The main road in front of the state Secretariat in the heart of the city virtually turned into a battlefield. Many media personnel covering the incident also suffered injuries in the melee. Shops remained shut in the area and vehicles parked on the road were damaged.
The protesters, who raised slogans demanding resignation of Chandy, engaged in a scuffle in front of the district collectorate at Kozhikode. Police used water cannons against the protesters there also. Protests erupted across the state soon after prime accused Saritha, while deposing before the Justice Sivarajan Commission, alleged that she had paid bribes to the tune of Rs 1.9 crore to a close aide of the Chief Minister and Rs 40 lakh to Power Minister Arayadan Mohammed. Both Chandy and Arayadan Mohammed have denied the allegations. In a major embarrassment to the Congress-led UDF government, a Vigilance court had on Thursday ordered registration of an FIR against Chandy and Arayadan Mohammed in the solar scam. The scam pertains to cheating of several persons worth crores of rupees by Saritha and her co-accused Biju Radhakrishnan by offering solar panel solutions.
In a major relief to Congress-led UDF government, Kerala High Court today stayed a Vigilance Court order to register an FIR against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Power Minister Arayadan Mohammed in the solar scam case. Considering pleas filed by Chandy and Mohammed, Justice P Ubaid observed that the Inquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigilance), Thrissur, acted mechanically without knowing the nature and extent of its powers. Suspending the Vigilance Court orders for two months, the High Court also directed its administrative section to consider action against the Vigilance Court judge. In his petition, Chandy said the Vigilance Court proceeded to act upon newspaper reports to pass “the impugned order” and it has “committed a grave error of jurisdiction”. The Vigilance Court judge, who ordered the vigilance director to register an FIR against Chandy and Mohammed and six others in the case, had observed that everyone was equal before law, “be it a village man or a chief minister.” “I have to bear in mind Article 14 of the Constitution. Be it a village man or the chief minister, law is equal to all public servants. Therefore the complaint is forwarded to Director VACB (Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau) for investigation under sect 156(3) CrPC,” the judge had said. (PTI)