Kerala cabinet accepts commission report on Mangalam chat scandal

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said the state cabinet has accepted the Justice P.S. Antony-led Commission's report on the Mangalam channel phone chat scandal.

The Chief Minister said he has ordered the state's Director General of Police (DGP) Loknath Behera to probe the conspiracy that led to the scandal.

On its inaugural day, the Mangalam channel had released an audio clip and claimed that Kerala Transport Minister A K Saseendran was allegedly speaking inappropriately with a woman and had sought sexual favours from her.

Addressing a press conference here, Vijayan said, "The Cabinet has approved the Justice Antony Commission report. There was a planned conspiracy by the channel against former transport minister A.K. Saseendran. I have directed the DGP to probe the conspiracy."

Saseendran has resigned on 'moral grounds' but dismissed the charges against him as being 'baseless'.

The government had set up the Justice (Retd) P S Antony Commission to probe the allegations levelled by the channel.

The report has recommended cancellation of Mangalam channel's licence and strong action against it and its CEO Ajith Kumar.