Kochi, Jan 8 (IANS) The Kerala government's request to withdraw the palm oil import case that happened in 1992 was turned down by a bench of the high court here Thursday.
The state government approached the high court with a review petition after the Thrissur Vigilance Court in January 2014 turned down the request of the government to withdraw the case.
The state government's contention is that there was no corruption involved in the case and since this has been in courts for more than two decades, the future of government officials who were accused in the case, is being affected.
Not a single probe agency has till date said that either political personalities or officials named in the case have committed a crime, Congress legislator P.C. Vishnunath told IANS.
The import of 15,000 tonnes of palm oil was undertaken by the Kerala government in 1992.
The case was registered in 1999 when the Communists, led by E.K. Nayanar, were in power.
Former chief minister K. Karunakaran, then food minister T.H. Mustafa and bureaucrats P.J. Thomas and Jiji Thompson were charged with causing a loss of Rs.2.32 crore to the state exchequer by importing oil from Malaysia at an enhanced price.
Thomas had to step down as the central vigilance commissioner and Thompson's promotion prospects hit a dead-end on account of the inordinate delay in the case.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was the finance minister when the oil was imported and he was listed as a witness in the case.
"Cases like this will affect the morale of officials," said Vishnunath.
Senior CPI-M legislator Thomas Issac said this verdict is a blow to Chandy.
Yadav, Bhushan again attack Kejriwal
New Delhi, March 11 (IANS) A week after being expelled from the AAP's key decision making body
Tensions over Taiwan have reached a peak. China has become very aggressive in protest against the
Delhi engulfed in dense fog: AQI crosses 400, demand for closure of schools
The air of Delhi-NCR is becoming toxic. The blanket of smog, which has spread for the last three
House prices in eight major cities of the country have increased by 11 percent during the January
Disproportionate assets case: Om Prakash Chautala sentenced to 4 years, fined Rs 50 lakh
Former Haryana Chief Minister and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) supremo Om Prakash Chautala, con
Congress faced with unprecedented challenge: Maken
New Delhi, March 8 (IANS) Congress leader Ajay Maken, under whose leadership the party failed t
Australian opening batsman David Warner will not play the T20I and ODI series against West Indies
Top 10 Medical Colleges in India: Every year lakhs of students try their luck in the NEET entranc
Yesterday was a historic day in Jammu and Kashmir. After three decades of the ban, a Muharram pro
Odisha varsity teacher held for molesting colleague's daughter
Bhubaneswar, Jan 8 (IANS) A reader at a state-run university in Odisha was arrested for alleged