Chennithala moves HC to quash proceedings against him

Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala today approached the high court seeking to quash the vigilance proceedings against him in a case pertaining to alleged corruption in implementation of an effluent treatment plant at a public sector company here in 2006.
Vigilance court in Thiruvananthapuram had on Aug 28 ordered the Vigilance Director to register FIR against Chennithala, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, PWD Minister Irabhim Kunju and former Industries Secretary T Balakrishnan on a complaint filed by one Sebastian George of Kannur.
According to Chennithala, he was made an accused in the case as he was the KPCC President during the relevant period.

The petitioner stated that he was appointed KPCC President only on June 30, 2005 -- 41 days after the government's decision to grant administrative sanction to the project.
Earlier, Balakrishnan had approached high court alleging lack of sanction to launch prosecution proceedings against him.
Considering his petition, high court had stayed the entire proceedings in the case.
The case pertains to alleged irregularities in implementation of an effluent treatment plant at Travancore Titanium Products Ltd (TTP), one of Kerala's oldest public sector companies located on a beach near the state capital.
The issue had created a flutter in 2006 with the then Health Minister K K Ramachandran resigning. Ramachandran, a Congress leader, later alleged that he had been made a scapegoat by Chandy and others.