APM Mohammed Hanish, former Principal Secretary of the Industries Department (Cashew) of the Kerala government, appeared before the Kerala High Court on Monday and tendered an unconditional apology in the contempt proceedings initiated against him in connection with alleged irregularities in the import of raw cashew by the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation (KSCDC).
Kadakampally Manoj of Kollam had filed the contempt petition, alleging that the Industries Secretary had wilfully refused to grant prosecution sanction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the graft case despite earlier directions issued by the court.
The contempt proceedings were initiated after Hanish, while serving as Principal Secretary, allegedly failed to grant prosecution sanction to the CBI despite repeated court directions in a case involving alleged large-scale corruption in the import and purchase of cashews by the KSCDC.
Following the investigation, the CBI named former KSCDC chairman and INTUC state president R Chandrasekharan, former Managing Director K A Ratheesh, and two others as accused in the case.
On Monday, when Hanish appeared in person before the court, Justice A Badharudeen orally questioned him, asking whether he was capable of understanding the orders and judgments passed by the court and whether he had gone through the repeated directions issued in the matter.
The court questioned why he had failed to issue the sanction order despite the directions and observed that he had allegedly neglected the court’s orders and formed his own opinion in a biased manner.
The court also noted that Hanish had filed an affidavit tendering his unconditional apology in the contempt proceedings.
The court had earlier directed the present officer in charge of the Cashew Development Department, K Biju IAS, to issue a sanction order for prosecuting the alleged corrupt former officials of the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation by July 9.
After hearing the parties, the court passed an interim order stating: “The first respondent (Mohammed Hanish) appears and submits that he has now been transferred from the charge of Secretary, Industries Department (Cashew), and that he had tendered his unconditional apology by way of an affidavit earlier. In view of the submissions, await the directions issued to the second respondent (K Biju) and compliance thereof. Post this matter on 02/07 to consider the apology and further steps.”
The case relates to alleged financial irregularities and misappropriation estimated at around Rs 600 crore involving INTUC state president R Chandrasekharan, former KSCDC Managing Director K A Ratheesh, and contractor Jaimon Joseph. The alleged corruption was linked to the import of raw cashews between 2006 and 2015.