CM Oommen Chandy files case against VS Achuthanandan, gets Lok Ayukta clean chit
Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has filed petitions against Opposition Leader V.S. Achuthanandan at a local court here as well as before the Election Commission in connection with the latter's statement that there were 31 corruption cases against Mr Chandy and 136 cases against the entire cabinet.
While a civil suit seeking a compensation of Rs 1 lakh was filed before the first additional district court, the petition filed at the Election Commission sought to conduct an inquiry under various sections of IPC for giving a false statement in connection with the election and disobedience of the commission's orders. A directive to the media not to publish such statements based on unverified allegation was also sought in the petitions.
Mr. Achuthanandan reacted that Mr. Chandy was trying to protect his ‘fake conscience’ and that he was jittery as the corruption of his government was being exposed. “Mr. Chandy, who is trying to gag me, seems to be living in a fool’s paradise,” Mr. Achuthanandan said.
He had raised the allegations during a campaign speech in Dharamadam constituency where CPM leader Pinarayi Vijayan is contesting. Mr. Chandy had earlier cautioned Mr Achuthanandan against making such statements and even warned him of moving the court if he repeated them. But Mr. Achuthanandan made such allegations again, following which Mr. Chandy decided to file the petitions.
Actions under IPC's section 188 for ‘disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant’ that could attract up to six months’ imprisonment and 171(G) for ‘false statement in connection with an election’ that could attract fine were sought in the petition filed before the Election Commission. Even as no cases were pending against Mr. Chandy in any courts in the country, the baseless defamatory allegations were being raised with the intention of bagging power at any cost, said the petitions filed through advocates A .Santosh Kumar and Vinod Kayippadi. The court is likely to consider the petition on Friday.
Mr. Chandy had filed a defamation suit in 2002 against Mr. Achuthanandan, who was then chief editor of CPM mouthpiece Deshabhimani, in connection with reports regarding the alleged corruption in the chicken trade and the court had ordered a fine of Rs 1.10 lakh in 2008, said a statement.
No cases pending against CM: Lok Ayukta
The Lok Ayukta has clarified that no cases were pending against the chief minister or any other minister, said a statement from the chief minister's office.
According to the statement, the information that 45 cases were pending against the chief minister and 18 other ministers was misleading.
A reply given by the state information officer under the RTI in this regard was being misused. Ministers would be made respondents in petitions against the government as heads of departments or the state's representative. This was wrongly interpreted as cases against the ministers.
