Stay extended by two weeks in Titanium case

The Kerala High Court today extended by two weeks the stay on the operation of a vigilance court order directing further probe in a case of alleged corruption in effluent treatment plant project at a state-owned firm in 2005 during previous tenure of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
Justice A Hariprasad extended the stay by two weeks when the matter came up before the court.
The Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance court had on August 28 ordered further investigation in the case relating to alleged corruption in the setting up of an effluent treatment plant in Travancore Titanium Products (TTP).
The high court had on September 1 granted three weeks stay on the operation of the vigilance court order and issued notices to Chandy, Home Minister, Ramesh Chennithala, and PWD Minsiter V K Ibrahim Kunju and other respondents.

The stay was granted on a petition by retired IAS officer and former chairman of Travancore Titanium Products (TTP) T Balakrishnan, one of the accused in the case.
He had stated that there was no proseuction sanction to proceed against the accused who are public servants.
It was also contended that by the judgement, the vigilance court had pronounced the guilt even before registration of crime.