Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday came down heavily on the investigating officer for indefinitely delaying the probe into the alleged microfinance fraud case involving SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan and others. The court expressed dissatisfaction over the failure to file the final report despite its direction to complete the investigation within one month.
Court's Observations
A bench of Justice A Badharudeen observed that investigating officer S Sasidharan appeared incapable of completing the investigation and indicated that the court was considering replacing him. "Don't make a mockery of the court. The investigating officer may not be able to complete the investigation. He might be under some pressure," the High Court orally remarked.
The court was considering a 2020 petition filed by M S Anil of Cherthala, who sought a thorough and effective vigilance investigation by a special team headed by an honest and efficient officer.
Details of the Case
The case, originally registered in 2016, concerns the alleged misappropriation of Rs 15.85 crore in government loans disbursed through the SNDP Yogam between 2003 and 2014 under a microfinance scheme intended to benefit members of marginalized communities.
Earlier, on May 20, the High Court had granted the investigating officer a final one-month extension to complete the probe and file the final report. The extension was granted after Sasidharan, who is also investigating the Sabarimala gold heist case, sought additional time, citing his involvement in that case.
State Government's Request
On Friday, the state government again sought additional time to comply with the High Court's order and submitted a sealed-cover report on the progress of the investigation. Expressing displeasure over the repeated submission of sealed-cover reports without any meaningful progress in the probe, the High Court orally declined to accept the report and criticized the investigating officer for repeatedly seeking extensions.
The court further observed that the investigation could have been entrusted to any newly inducted officer and remarked that the conduct of the present investigating officer did not appear bona fide.
Final Extension Granted
However, considering the government pleader's submission, the High Court granted a final three weeks to complete the investigation and file the final report. The matter has been posted to July 8.
