 "Setback to CM, Kerala HC orders CBI probe in land grab cases")
Justice Harun Al Rasheed ordered the CBI should complete the inquiry in nine months and all documents in these cases should be handed over to the CBI.
The petitioners in the cases were NA Sherriffa, AK Nazeer, AK Noushad and Shimitha Noushad, all from Kalamassery, near here, and Premchand Nair, Mohanchand Nair and Rama R Nair of Thiruvananthapuram. They said Salim Raj and his brother-in-law with the support of the chief minister’s office and a section of revenue department officials had forged the documents and grabbed their land in Kalamassery in Kochi and Kadakampilly near Thiruvananthapuram.
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The single judge in his order said the Kerala police inquiry in these cases was not ‘satisfactory’, as it was aimed to rescue Salim Raj from the charges.
The high court in its order criticised the chief minister and his office over the alleged involvement of his personal staffers in various scams, including the solar energy scam. The court said, when allegations were made on CM's office, he had the responsibility to respond to them. The CM’s office should be a model office to the other government departments, it said.
An inquiry report filed by Revenue principal secretary, G Kamalavardhana Rao, pointed to the involvement of Salim Raj in the land grab cases. Raj along with some corrupt revenue officials committed forgery and manipulation.
There are allegations that Salim Raj, who was suspended from the CM’s office, was heading the land mafia in Kerala. A case of kidnapping was also filed against him.
The prosecution lawyer pointed out that members of CM's office were also allegedly involved in solar scam, while two are presently under suspension.
“The fact that the CM’s office members have been part of criminal activities is shocking,” the Judge said.
The court observed the chief minister has the responsibility to react on allegations against his office. He should answer to the people. He should be very careful in the appointment of his office staff. He has the responsibility in the doings of his staff members, it said.
In the order, the high court observed the alleged involvement of the personal staff members of the chief minister's office in criminal acts had come to its notice multiple times. The above incidents have raised serious questions on the functioning of the CM’s office for which the CM is answerable to the state, it said.