Bar bribery case: Kerala HC grants 1 week to state to file affidavit

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Thursday granted one week time to the state government to file an affidavit, along with documents, in the bar bribery case against the State Finance Minister K M Mani.

The court posted the petition filed by V S Sunilkumar, CPI MLA, for final hearing in December 2.

The Division Bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice A M Sheffique asked the government to bring relevant Government Orders and Vigilance notifications on the preliminary inquiry ordered in the case.

The petitioner contented that preliminary inquiry was not according to law and has to be completed within two weeks.

The inquiry period can be extended only in exceptional cases, he contended and sought to know from the government what these were, except that Mani is Finance Minister, to give more time for inquiry.

Following arguments, the bench permitted the Advocate General to file the counter affidavit to reply to the charges in the petition.

The case relates to the allegation of Kerala Bar Hotel Owners Association Working President Biju Ramesh that Mani had taken Rs one crore and demanded Rs five crore more from the owners promising them to get 418 closed bars reopened.