Lok Ayukta to announce verdict on CMDRF misuse by CM Pinarayi Vijayan today ; D-Day for Kerala’s leader

The verdict of the Lok Ayukta on the misuse of the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) case is expected today. The accused in the case are Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, 16 Ministers who were part of his first regime (2016-21), and the then Chief Secretary. The verdict will be pronounced by a bench comprising Lok Ayukta Cyriac Joseph and Deputy Lok Ayukta Harun Ul-Rashid.

The verdict could prove crucial to Pinarayi Vijayan as he is the only person holding power among the 16 accused. The judgment, whether adverse or not, would take force instantly as per the provisions of the Kerala Lok Ayukta Act, 1999. The current State Government’s legislative bid to curtail the powers of the anti-graft ombudsman is yet to get the assent of the Governor.

The petition filed by R S Sasikumar, former Syndicate member of the Kerala University, alleged that the money was given to those who were not supposed to get the relief. These included the family of a deceased CPM legislator, the family of a top leader from a Left ally who passed away, and also a Kerala Police officer who died when his vehicle met with an accident while accompanying late CPM leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. The complainant had petitioned the Lok Ayukta on the directive of the Kerala High Court after no verdict was passed even a year after the arguments were concluded.

Earlier this month the High Court had dismissed the plea to hand over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) the investigation into the misuse of the CMDRF. All eyes are on the Lok Ayukta which will meet on Friday to deliver another verdict against the CM and his former Cabinet members.

Incidentally, during the end of the first Pinarayi Vijayan Government, the then State Higher Education Minister K T Jaleel had to quit following the Lok Ayukta verdict indicting him for misuse of official powers. Sasikumar demanded that since the fund was misused, the amount should be recovered from those who took part in the relevant Cabinet meeting and that they should be declared disqualified.

As Sasikumar aptly put it, ‘We have to wait and see whether the verdict will end up as another eyewash or the first step towards cleaning up the rot in the system.’