Corruption case in Cashew Development Corporation; Accused receives GO before reaching court, sparks controversy

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A controversy has sparked over the prosecution sanction order in the Kerala Cashew Development Corporation corruption case. The issue arose after the accused allegedly obtained a copy of the government order even before it reached the court. The order granting sanction to prosecute INTUC leader R Chandrasekharan, the accused in the case, reached him even before it was officially issued. Chandrasekharan read the contents of the order and distributed copies to the media while addressing them in Thiruvananthapuram yesterday.

The government order reportedly states that sanction for prosecution was granted due to pressure from the Kerala High Court. It also says that the government is permitting the trial while reserving its right to file an appeal in the future. According to reports, the government may issue a revised order after removing the controversial references contained in the original document.

Legal experts believe the reference saying that the order was issued under pressure from the high court, could create legal complications. So, the government is expected to delete those references and submit a revised order.

The petitioner in the case, Kadakampally Manoj, has questioned how the accused obtained the order before it was made available to the court. He also alleged that while the industries department circulated copies of the order to all parties involved in the case, including the advocate general, the complainant did not receive a copy.