Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. (PTI: File)
RS Sasikumar, a former employee of Kerala University, said that the appeal was filed to recall the verdict which referred the case to a three-member bench.
The petitioner in the case involving Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday filed an appeal at the Lok Ayukta against the split verdict in the alleged misuse of Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).
RS Sasikumar, a former employee of Kerala University, said that the appeal was filed to recall the verdict which referred the case to a three-member bench.
The move came ahead of the plan of Kerala Lok Ayukta to start the hearing on April 12. Lok Ayukta and two Upa-Lok Ayuktas will hear the case. One of the major questions in the verdict was whether the decisions taken by the cabinet can be subjected to investigation under provisions of the Kerala Lok Ayukta Act 1999. It also raised questions over the merits of the allegation.
The verdict came as an interim relief for Kerala CM who along with his 17 cabinet colleagues in the first Pinarayi Vijayan ministry are accused of showing favoritism and nepotism in the allocation of funds from CMDRF.
Sasikumar said that he filed the appeal against the order as a first step ahead of approaching the High Court. Sasikumar had filed the case with Lok Ayukta in 2018. Though the hearing was completed in March 2020, the Lok Ayukta reserved the order for a long time. It finally delivered the verdict on March 31 after Sasikumar approached the High Court against the delay. However, with the referring of the case to full bench, the CM and co-accused will get more time.
Though Kerala Assembly had passed a bill to dilute the binding aspects of Lok Ayukta bill, the Governor has not given his assent yet.
