No violation of code in attending CM's Iftar: Kerala Lok Ayukta responds to CMDRF case controversies

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Lok Ayukta on Monday issued a press release reacting to the recent controversies surrounding the case against chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his previous cabinet over Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) allocations. 

In the press release, the PRO said the Lok Ayukta and Upa Lok Ayukta attended the Iftar feast of the chief minister because they were invited to it and it was not a private party hosted by Pinarayi Vijayan. He added that the news of a private conversation between the Lok Ayukta and the Chief Minister was false, and that no other judges attended the event is a malicious misrepresentation.

The press release focuses on addressing three controversies related to the issue, in response to the petitioner RS Sasikumar's allegations. It justified the decision to probe the complaint of Sasikumar jointly by Lok Ayukta and Upa Lok Ayuktas. When the petition was admitted, the previous Lok Ayukta had not heard the defendants. Petitioners’ demand that this bench of Lok Ayukta shall not again hear the issue of jurisdiction is “illogical and absurd.” There is no need for a separate verdict while sending the case to the three-member bench, it stated.

The 4-page press release also said that the Lok Ayukta did not compare the petitioner to a “rabid dog,” as alleged by some. It added that the remark was merely an example.

The allegation of violation of the code of conduct is baseless, it stated. The ‘Restatement of Values of Judicial Life’ on the ethical conduct of judges is not applicable to retired judges, the press release noted.