Justice after 22 Years: How a Kerala Kaumudi report sparked retired SP’s legal battle

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 22-year-long legal crusade led by retired Superintendent of Police (SP) C.P. Gopakumar against the manipulation of merit seats in Kerala’s medical and engineering entrance examinations has finally reached a breakthrough. The Vigilance Court recently quashed an order that had previously discharged the accused, paving the way for an immediate trial.

Roots of the struggle

The case dates back to 2004, alleging that the prospectus for Medical and Engineering entrance examinations was intentionally altered to divert merit seats to self-financing colleges.

The spark for Gopakumar’s mission was a report published by Kerala Kaumudi on November 30, 2004, titled "3752 Merit Seats Lie Vacant." Despite having the required qualifications, Gopakumar’s daughter, Thankam, was denied a merit seat for Nursing. Consequently, the family was forced to take a ₹2 lakh loan to secure her admission under the management quota. This personal injustice motivated Gopakumar to expose the systemic corruption within the admission process.

Grueling legal timeline

Gopakumar’s journey was marked by significant hurdles and administrative delays:

• 2006: Following an unsuccessful plea to the Lokayukta, a petition was filed in the High Court through a relative, Vijayakumar, seeking a Vigilance probe.
• 2007: A Vigilance inquiry led to a case being registered against four officials, including the then Entrance Examination Commissioner, C.K. Viswanathan.
• 2018: It took 11 years for the formal charge sheet to be filed.
• 2022: In a surprising turn, the investigating officer reported to the court that there was a lack of evidence against the accused, seeking a reinvestigation.

Gopakumar challenged this "lack of evidence" report in the High Court. Following the High Court’s intervention, the Vigilance Court issued an order this past March upholding Gopakumar’s stance and dismissing the discharge of the accused.

Current status and accused

The trial is set to commence shortly, with the case scheduled for a hearing this coming Saturday. The accused listed in the case are:

1. C.K. Viswanathan (Former Entrance Examination Commissioner – Deceased)
2. Rajakrishnan (Former Joint Commissioner)
3. T.G. Ajayakumar
4. P.P. Ajith (Former Assistant)

Now 67 years old and residing in Njandoorkonam, Chempazhanthy, Gopakumar’s victory stands as a rare example of an individual successfully challenging the state machinery to uphold the rights of students. His daughter, whose denied seat started this battle, is currently employed in the Gulf.