HC makes strong remarks against Chief Minister's office

In strong remarks against the office of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, the Kerala High Court today held that authorities at the helm of affairs in the state have not been "prudent and responsible" in appointing personal staff with integrity and character.
"The Chief Minister's office should be a model institution serving the people of the State", Justice Harun-Ul-Rashid said, ordering a fresh CBI probe in two land grabbing cases against Salim Raj, former gunman of the CM.
Delivering the 132-page judgement while allowing petitions in the landgrabbing cases in Thrikkakara here and Kadakkampally in Thiruvananthapuram, the court said the CBI probe should be completed in nine months.

Besides the two cases, a criminal case was registered against Salim Raj for kidnapping by Kozhikode Police last year
Pointing to the involvement of another personal staff of Chief Minister in a Solar panel scam case in which Saritha Nair is a key accused, the court held that all the incidents have "evoked shock and surprise" among people of the state.
The alleged invovlement of members of the personal staff of the Chief Minister's office in criminal acts has come to the attention of this court at multiple instances, it held.
This shows that "the authorities at the helm of affairs of the administration in the state have not been prudent and responsile in appointing personal staff with integrity and character", the court observed.

"The above incidents have raised serious questions on the functioning of the Chief Minister's office for which the Chief minister is answerable to the State", Justice Harun Al Rashid said.