THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Lok Ayukta Pius Kuriakose has expressed displeasure over Upa Lokayukta’s statement that there are no corruption cases against the Chief Minister and his ministers. The Lokayukta was mainly disturbed as these reports had appeared at a time when he was on a foreign visit. He made these observations while hearing a corruption case against the Chief Minster and health minister Mr. V.S. Sivakumar.
The Upa Lokayukta had stated that there were no cases pending against the Chief Minister or ministers before Lok Ayukta and Upa Lokayukta. These reports had appeared when the Lokayukta was abroad. “I had to face criticism for things that I was not aware of. It must be because of the sins committed in the previous birth,” a perturbed Lok Ayukta said. He said it was inappropriate to give opinion on cases being considered by him.
Lokayukta made these observations while hearing a case pertaining to the reappointment given to a KPCC member’s daughter in RCC in violation of High Court directive. In response to a query under the RTI Act, the state information officer had replied that 45 cases were pending against the chief minister and 18 ministers.
The private secretary of the Chief Minister had submitted a complaint against this following which Chandy and his colleagues were given a clean chit. The Upa Lok Ayukta had opined that since dictations had not been submitted as per section 14 and orders had not been issued under section 15 for trial even in the existing cases, the accused could not be considered as tainted.
