The Kerala High Court has directed the Principal Secretary of the Industries Department, A P M Muhammed Hanish, to comply with its earlier order regarding the reconsideration of the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) request for sanction to prosecute former officials of the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation (KSCDC) in a corruption case.
Court's Directive and Deadline
Justice A Badharudeen issued the directive on Wednesday, instructing Hanish to comply with the order by June 19, unless a stay is granted by a division bench of the High Court. The court was hearing a contempt petition filed by Kadakampally Manoj of Kollam, who alleged non-compliance with earlier court directions concerning the sanction for prosecution in the KSCDC graft case.
Background of the Case
The case stems from a CBI request seeking sanction under the Prevention of Corruption Act to prosecute former KSCDC Chairman and INTUC state president R Chandrasekharan, former Managing Director K A Ratheesh, and two others. The allegations involve irregularities in the import and purchase of cashew by the corporation. The CBI conducted the investigation following an earlier High Court order on a petition filed by Manoj. However, repeated denial of sanction by the authorities led to the filing of the present contempt petition against Hanish.
Court's Observations
During the hearing, the single bench noted that its earlier order had issued two directions: the personal appearance of Hanish in the contempt proceedings, which was stayed by the division bench, and a direction to reconsider the CBI's request for prosecution sanction. The court observed that the latter direction had not been complied with, nor had any stay order been produced. Accordingly, the bench directed Hanish to comply with the order by June 19.
