High court stays lokayukta proceedings

KOCHI: The high court on Thursday stayed further proceedings in the bar bribery case at the lokayukta.
Considering a petition filed by Biju Ramesh, working president of Kerala Bar Hotel Owners' Association, Justice P R Ramachandra Menon ordered that the lokayukta should not proceed until the high court passes final order on the petition.
The court excused Biju Ramesh from appearing before the lokayukta until further orders and decided that no notice was needed to be sent to finance minister K M Mani on the petition at this stage.
The lokayukta's proceedings were based on a petition filed by Khalid Mundappilly of Aluva.
The high court directive comes at a time when Biju Ramesh was asked by the lokayukta to appear before it and give evidence.
In the petition filed to the high court through advocate C P Udayabhanu, Biju Ramesh had contended that the proceedings before the lokayukta would affect the probe being conducted on the same by the vigilance and anti-corruption Bureau (VACB). tnn
It was alleged in Biju Ramesh's petition that the lokayukta cannot conduct a parallel inquiry while an investigation by a police officer regarding a crime was on. Such a parallel inquiry would adversely affect the VACB's ongoing probe in the bar bribery issue, the petition had stated.
The vigilance team is proceeding with the probe after recording the statements of witnesses. In such circumstances, the proceedings initiated before the lokayukta is not legally valid, it was alleged.