The Kerala Government today informed the High Court that it had no objection to the vigilance court proceeding with its investigation into the role of Chief Minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, in the palmolein case.

Loss

Mr Chandy was Finance Minister in the K. Karunakaran Cabinet in 1992 when the Government decided to import palmolein. The deal reportedly caused a loss of Rs 2.32 crore to the State exchequer.

The State Government has agreed for further investigation in the case, Advocate-General, Mr K. P. Dhandapani, informed the High Court and said the Government was prepared to complete the probe within six weeks, if permitted.

The undertaking has been given at a time when the court has stayed further proceedings in the case till October 29 on a petition by senior IAS officer, Mr Jiji Thomson, who challenged the vigilance court order.

The Advocate-General told the court that the State had no objection in continuing the investigation as it was already half way through the probe. The report can be filed in a sealed cover within six weeks, he submitted.

Justice, Mr K. T. Sankaran, recorded the AG's submission and posted the matter to October 25.

Meanwhile, impleadment petitions of Opposition leader, Mr V. S. Achuthanandan, Mr Alphonse Kannamthanam and All India Lawyers Forum, also came up before the court. While Mr's Achuthanandan's counsel did not oppose the Government proposal to proceed with the investigation, Mr Kannamthanam, who was present, objected to the suggestion.

Mr Achuthanandan had submitted that Mr Thomson, also an accused in the case, had no locus standi to challenge the orders passed by the vigilance special judge in respect of probe against Mr Chandy.

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