New Delhi: In a significant relief for Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his close aide K.M. Abraham, the Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed a Kerala High Court order that had directed a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into allegations that Abraham amassed wealth through illegal means.
Abraham, a former Chief Secretary and currently the Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, as well as the CEO of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), had approached the Supreme Court to challenge the High Court's directive.
The apex court granted the stay on technical grounds, noting that similar matters were already pending before it. Abraham's counsel argued that the CBI had registered the case without obtaining the mandatory sanction from the state government.
While granting interim relief, the Supreme Court issued notices to the Kerala government and to Joemon Puthenpurackal, the public activist who originally filed the petition. The case will be heard in greater detail at a later date.
The stay comes just two days after the CBI initiated its investigation on April 28, into allegations that Abraham illegally accumulated wealth between 2003 and 2015, as per the High Court’s order. The CBI’s First Information Report (FIR), which is reportedly close to 600 pages, has already been made public.
Puthenpurackal, who has been pursuing the case for nearly a decade, alleges that Abraham used his influence to derail a Vigilance inquiry into the same charges.
This temporary relief for Abraham also provides a political reprieve for CM Vijayan, who had been facing increasing pressure from the opposition Congress to remove Abraham from his post. The opposition accused the Chief Minister’s Office of shielding individuals involved in corrupt practices.
The Congress party had drawn comparisons between Abraham and M. Sivasankar, Vijayan’s former Principal Secretary, who was jailed twice in connection with separate cases and is currently out on bail.
Both the CPI(M) and Vijayan had strongly supported Abraham in the face of the High Court order, asserting that he was seeking legitimate legal remedies. The Supreme Court's stay on Wednesday provides temporary relief for both Abraham and the Kerala government.
With IANS inputs