The Kerala High Court on Tuesday refused to intervene in the Lokayukta order referring the case against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the former Ministers for alleged misuse of Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF), to a full bench comprising the Lokayukta and both the Upa-Lok Ayuktas.

A  Division Bench comprising Chief Justice AJ Desai and Justice VG Arun dismissed the petition filed by RS Sasikumar, observing  that since a difference of opinion had arisen between the Lokayukta and Upa-Lok Ayukta, the only option would be  to refer the matter in order to decide the same by three members, whereby the decision of the majority would prevail.

“In view of the above, we do not find any reason to interfere in this matter. The application is dismissed,” the court said.

The complainant RS Sasikumar moved the High Court stating that the Lokayukta full bench had in 2019 found his complaint maintainable and had issued notice to the respondents. He also said the hearing of the case was held from 5 February 2022, to 18 March 2022, as the anti-corruption body found his complaint maintainable.

It has been pointed out that a full bench comprising Lokayukta Justice Pius C Kuriakose, and Upa-Lokayuktas Justices K P Balachandran and A K Basheer in January 2019 decided to admit the  complaint filed by R S Sasikumar. The bench decided that the complaint was maintainable before the Lokayukta and ordered notice to the respondents.

A former syndicate member of Kerala University RS Sasikumar has filed the complaint before the Lokayukta in 2018. Sasikumar  had alleged that chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other ministers  in his former  cabinet misused the CMDRF.

Sasikumar, in his complaint said the state Cabinet had illegally transferred funds from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) to the families of NCP leader Uzhavur Vijayan, former Chengannur MLA K K Ramachandran Nair, and Praveen, the escort driver of the CPI-M state secretary, who died in an accident while on duty.

He also said that Uzhavur Vijayan’s family was given Rs 25 lakh and the kin of Praveen, driver of late CPI-M leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan was granted Rs 20 lakh. He also said that Ramachandran Nair’s loan liability of Rs 9 lakh was also given from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).