Headlines
SC warns Achuthanandan over using courts for political agenda
New Delhi, Feb 2
The Supreme Court Monday
frowned at former Kerala chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan for using
judicial forums to drag on his fight against his political rivals.
The
court warned of imposing exemplary costs if it found that the matter
being raised before it was devoid of merits and he was using judicial
forums for political agenda.
"Have you made any allegation of
corruption against the present chief minister (Oommen Chandy of Kerala)?
You are not taking any responsibility. Are you fishing in troubled
water?" said the apex court bench of Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice
Adarsh Kumar Goel as Achuthanandan's counsel sought the adjournment of
the hearing.
Asking Achuthanandan's counsel if his client was
ready to file an affidavit alleging corruption against Chandy, the court
said it would impose heavy costs if it found him to be using judicial
forums for political agenda.
Achuthanandan's counsel wanted to take instruction on this count.
Noting
that Achuthanandan was a former chief minister and the present leader
of opposition in the Kerala assembly, the court said, "You will not let
this issue rest. You want this matter in press. You want to keep it
alive. You want to take political mileage."
Noting that even the
Kerala High Court had said that Achuthanandan was only dragging on the
matter, the court said: "High court says that you are only dragging on.
You get political mileage in keeping the issue alive."
Giving
Achuthanandan's lawyer two weeks' time to place before it the judgment
of the high court which was pronounced Jan 30, the court said: "You
argue it on next date. We will not allow you to drag it. We will not
allow you to use judicial forums for settling political scores."
Having
said this, court made it clear that if it was not persuaded about the
contention for further investigation in the palm oil import scam being
sought by CPI-M leader Achuthanandan, it would impose a "heavy cost".
Achuthanandan's
counsel wanted to place before the apex court the Kerala High Court
judgment rejecting Achuthanandan's plea challenging the Kerala
government order of Sep 13, 2013, withdrawing prosecution in the alleged
corruption in import of palmolein oil during 1991-92.
While
dismissing Achuthanandan's plea, the high court held that since the
application for the withdrawal of prosecution by the state government
had already been declined by the vigilence court and the same order had
been upheld by the high court Jan 8, the Kerala government order of Sep
13, 2013, for withdrawing prosecution in palm oil case was of no
consequence.
The case relates to import of palm oil during
1991-92 at "inflated" price by the then Congress government headed by
late K. Karunakaran, from a Malaysian firm, allegedly causing a loss of
Rs. 2.33 crore to the state exchequer. Chandy was then finance minister.