CBI probe sought into Law Academy affiliation

KOCHI: A CBI inquiry should be conducted into the functioning of

Kerala Law Academy Law College

without any university

affiliation

or approval, a lawyer has demanded. Advocate Vincent Panikulangara said he decided to voice the issue now as the academy’s officials recently told media that the issue of its affiliation was decided in its favour by the Supreme Court in a case filed by him.

According to Panikulangara, the 1982 case was regarding the academy principal Narayanan Nair being given membership in Kerala University syndicate, as the academy was not affiliated, and not about the academy’s affiliation or approval as such.

University officials had told media recently that it was decided in 1968 to grant affiliation to the academy but that the files were missing.

“The case was fought on three levels – before a single bench and a division bench at the high court and then at the Supreme Court. No record stating that affiliation was granted to the academy was produced before the court then. The university is now saying the files are missing and the academy is also saying so. How can the files go missing from two places of the same case? Let alone affiliation records, let them at least produce the receipt of the fee paid for seeking affiliation,” said Panikulangara.

A CBI inquiry is required into the matter, said Panikulangara. “There are people who have been sentenced to death by persons who became judges after graduating from the academy. Such persons have pronounced judgments in thousands of cases as judges. In such circumstances, a CBI inquiry is a must to maintain the integrity of the academy and our judiciary. Thus, it is a serious matter and one that would have far-reaching consequences if left without a CBI probe,” he said.