SC nod to Kerala govt for trial in palmolein oil scam

The Supreme Court today allowed the Kerala government to go ahead with the trial in the multi-crore palmolein oil scam involving Chief Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas and then Chief Minister K Karunakaran.

A bench of justices Aftab Alam and R M Lodha gave the green signal after treating Karunakaran’s appeal as “abated” in view of his death on December 23 last year. The Kerala government had earlier moved the apex court, seeking vacation of its stay on the trial in the palmolein oil import case in which Thomas is an accused.

The Supreme Court had on August 3, 2007, stayed proceedings in the case before a designated CBI court in Kerala. There were eight accused in the case. The chargesheet was filed in 2000 against Karunakaran and seven senior state government officials, including Thomas, who was then Kerala food secretary. The then chief secretary of the state, besides additional secretary and Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation’s managing director, G G Thomas are also named as an accused. The case pertains to the import of palm oil from a Singapore company, allegedly done at prices higher than the international rate. The Karunakaran cabinet had approved the import of 15,000 tonnes of palm oil at a $405 per tonne whereas the market price was $392.25 per tonne.