Palmolein case: HC stays Vigilance court order

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday stayed for one month the order issued by the Vigilance Special Court of Thiruvananthapuram directing to find out the involvement of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in the palmolein case.Justice K T Sankaran passed the order while considering a petition by Jiji Thomson, former managing director of Civil Supplies, the fifth accused in the case, seeking to quash the Vigilance Special Court order. “The matter requires detailed consideration and deeper scrutiny,” the High Court said. The court also called for  further investigation report filed by the Investigating Officer on May 13 this year and other related materials and documents which the Special Court relied on.On Tuesday, the court admitted the petition by Jiji Thomson and posted it to October 17 for final hearing. The state government could not make its stand clear on a query by the court on whether the Vigilance Court order was incorrect or not. Government pleader C S Manilal, who appeared for the state, submitted that it was difficult to go to the legalities of the order. Though the court repeated the question, the government pleader kept mum. “If the court orders, the state is ready to submit the progress report,” he added.The state government submitted that once the report of further investigation is filed, it should be taken as the end of the investigation. Then the High Court asked about the maintainability of the petition. “The accused have the right to ask for speedy disposal. I have an accountability to the court, the accused and the state. The delay might mar the trial,” the government pleader replied. Advocate S Rajiv, counsel for the petitioner, submitted that if wrong procedures were being adopted by the investigating officer, it becomes an endless process. The petitioner submitted that he remained in the same post only due to the prolonged pendency of this case while many others at his level were promoted.During all these years, he had undergone untold mental harassment and agony due to it.  No proper sanction was obtained by the investigating agency to prosecute him under the Prevention of Corruption Act, he stated.