Kochi: Industries department principal secretary A P M Muhammed Hanish has filed an appeal before the Kerala High Court challenging a single bench order that directed his personal appearance in a contempt of court case linked to the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation (KSCDC) graft case.
Appeal to Be Heard by Division Bench
A division bench comprising Justices K Natarajan and Johnson John is scheduled to consider the appeal on Thursday. The single bench had earlier directed Hanish to appear before it on May 22 in a contempt petition filed by Kadakampally Manoj of Kollam. Manoj alleged that Hanish had wilfully refused to grant prosecution sanction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the cashew corporation graft case despite earlier court directives.
Hanish's Contention
Challenging the order, Hanish contended that the single bench erred in concluding that he had prima facie committed civil contempt by disobeying the court's directions. He argued that the court had only directed the state to reconsider the CBI's request for sanction and take a fresh decision, and had not ordered that sanction be granted. The officer maintained that there was no wilful disobedience of any specific order.
Background of the Case
The case stems from allegations of large-scale corruption in the import and purchase of cashews by KSCDC. Acting on a petition filed by Manoj, the High Court had earlier directed the CBI to investigate the allegations. Following the probe, the agency named former KSCDC chairman and INTUC state president R Chandrasekharan, former managing director K A Ratheesh, and two others as accused.
Before filing its final report, the CBI sought prosecution sanction from the industries department under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The request was allegedly rejected multiple times despite the High Court's directions, leading to the contempt plea. The division bench's decision on Hanish's appeal is awaited.
