Cashew Corp case: Comply with order by June 19, Kerala HC tells industries dept secy

Kochi: High court has directed industries department principal secretary A P M Muhammed Hanish to comply with its earlier order directing him to reconsider the CBI’s request for sanction to prosecute former officials of the Cashew Corporation in a graft case.

Justice A Badharudeen directed Hanish to comply with the order by June 19, unless a stay is granted by the division bench. HC was considering a contempt petition filed by Kadakampally Manoj of Kollam against the secretary, alleging non-compliance with earlier court directions regarding sanction for prosecution in the Cashew Corporation graft case.

The case arose from a CBI request seeking sanction under the Prevention of Corruption Act to prosecute former Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation (KSCDC) chairman and INTUC state president R Chandrasekharan, former managing director K A Ratheesh, and two others in a corruption case involving alleged irregularities in the import and purchase of cashew by the corporation. CBI had conducted the investigation pursuant to an earlier HC order passed on a petition filed by Manoj. However, repeated denial of sanction by the authorities led to the filing of the present contempt petition against Hanish.

During hearing on Wednesday, the single bench noted that its earlier order had issued two directions: the personal appearance of Hanish in the contempt proceedings, which was stayed by the division bench, and a direction to reconsider the CBI’s request for prosecution sanction. HC observed that the latter direction had not been complied with, nor had any stay order been produced. Accordingly, the bench directed Hanish to comply with the order by June 19.