Contempt plea: Industries dept secretary seeks exemption from personal appearance in Kerala HC

Kochi: State industries department principal secretary A P M Muhamed Hanish has filed an interlocutory application before high court seeking exemption from personal appearance on May 22 in a contempt case related to the alleged cashew corporation graft case.A single bench had earlier directed Hanish to appear in person on May 18 for further proceedings in the case. However, when the matter was taken up on that day, he failed to comply with the direction, following which HC adjourned the case to May 22 for his appearance.Hanish has now approached the bench with an interlocutory application seeking exemption from appearance, stating that he had already filed an intra-court appeal against the single bench order directing his personal appearance in the contempt proceedings. He further submitted that, while disposing of his petition challenging the impugned order of the single bench, the apex court had directed him to avail the remedy of an intra-court appeal under Section 5 of the Kerala High Court Act. According to him, the appeal is being filed, but the change in leadership at the office of the advocate general, following the change in the state govt, has delayed the processing and numbering of the appeal. Hanish also contended that, unless exempted from personal appearance, he would suffer irreparable injury and hardship. He additionally expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to the court due to his non-appearance.The contempt proceedings arise from allegations of large-scale corruption in the import and purchase of cashews by the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation (KSCDC). Earlier, the CBI had investigated the allegations pursuant to a high court order issued on a petition filed by Kadakampally Manoj of Kollam and had arraigned former KSCDC chairman and INTUC state president R Chandrasekharan, former managing director K A Ratheesh, and two others as accused. Before filing its final report, CBI sought prosecution sanction from the state industries department under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The request was repeatedly denied, leading to the present contempt petition against the principal secretary.