The Congress-led UDF Government on Tuesday decided to seek Advocate General’s opinion on prosecuting former Chief Minister and CPI-M veteran V S Achuthanandan in a graft case, in which an FIR has already been filed, listing him as the first accused.
Though the Deputy Director of Prosecutions has already advised the government it could go ahead with prosecution proceedings, government today made it clear it preferred to go thoroughly about the matter so that the case would not boomerang on it.
“We will look into all legal aspects before taking a final decision. We don’t want to rush into any decision without considering the matter in all its detail,” Home Minister Thiruvanchur Radkakrishnan told reporters here.
The case against Achuthanandan pertains to alleged violation of norms while allotting land to T K Soman, an ex-serviceman and his close relative in Kasaragod district when he was Chief Minister heading the previous LDF ministry.
Apart from the 88-year-old leader, his personal assistant Suresh and former Revenue Minister K P Rajendran (CPI) and a couple of officials have been listed as accused in the FIR filed in a court in Kozhikode after a vigilance probe found prima facie evidence.
A petition of Achuthanandan seeking to quash the FIR is pending before the High Court.
Dubbing the government move as “illegal”, CPI(M) politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan accused the government of misusing the Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau to secure its political ends.
“The government is using vigilance to serve its political ends. This is a ploy to deflect the internal crises of the ruling UDF coalition,” Balakrishnan, who was home minister during the LDF rule, said.