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The Kerala high court on Monday stayed an order of the Special Vigilance court to re-investigate the case against chief minister Oommen Chandy, home minister Ramesh Chennithala, public works minister VK Ibrahimkunju and eight others in the titanium pollution control plant scam. The court stayed the lower court order for three weeks.
The high court order was in response to a petition filed by T Balakrishnan, former Industries secretary, who is also on the list of accused.
The special vigilance court, Thiruvananthapuram, last week Thursday, ordered to re-investigate the titanium pollution control plant scam. The Special Judge rejected the report filed by the Vigilance department of the Kerala Police, and ordered registering fresh FIRs against the accused.
In 2006, S Jayan, a former employee of Travancore Titanium Products Limited, a state-owned company, filed a case in the court alleging that the state had lost Rs 256 crore in the deal for setting up a pollution control plant with a company called Gintex and in importing equipment for the plant.
The Vigilance in its preliminary report stated there were misappropriation in the purchase of the equipment, but no evidence was found against the chief minister, ministers and other officials. Hence, it sought permission to wind up the case. However, the special judge rejected the report on the grounds that there was alleged political involvement in the case. Special court Judge John K Illikkadan in his judgment said fresh case could be registered against the chief minister and other ministers without prior permission.
