Thiruvananthapuram, September 8 (Daily Kiran) : A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking to lift the interim stay on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe against K.M. Abraham, the former chief secretary of Kerala. The petition was submitted by Jomon Puthenpurakal, who argued that the stay hampers a fair and effective investigation into allegations of disproportionate assets held by Abraham.
In his counter-affidavit, Jomon contended that there is no legal basis for halting the CBI inquiry and urged the court to allow the investigation to proceed. The CBI has also opposed Abraham’s petition for a stay on the investigation.
Renuka Devi, the CBI’s Deputy Inspector General, stated in her affidavit that Abraham’s plea lacks merit and should be dismissed.
The case pertains to allegations that Abraham possessed assets beyond his known sources of income between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2015. On April 11, 2025, the Kerala High Court ordered the registration of an FIR and initiated a CBI investigation. The CBI formally registered the case on April 25, leading Abraham to approach the Supreme Court, which subsequently imposed a stay on the investigation.
A key issue before the Supreme Court is whether government approval was required prior to initiating the investigation against Abraham. Jomon cited a 1984 Constitution Bench ruling in the R.S. Naik-A.R. Antule case, asserting that such approval is unnecessary.
He further argued that Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which was amended in 2018, cannot be applied retroactively to offenses committed long before the amendment.
Jomon also alleged that the scope of a previous vigilance investigation into Abraham’s assets was narrowed, reducing the inquiry period from 2000-2015 to just 2000-2009. He claimed that this issue was noted by the Kerala High Court.
Additionally, the petitioner raised concerns about the failure of government officials to disclose property details in mandatory statements. He referenced properties allegedly located in Kollam, Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram, including a shopping complex, an apartment in Mumbai, and another in the state capital.
Jomon dismissed Abraham’s claim that the High Court proceedings amounted to “forum shopping.” He noted that following a change in government, Abraham resigned from his positions as CEO of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board and as chief principal secretary to former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
He emphasized that allowing the CBI investigation to continue serves the public interest. If the stay remains in place at this early stage of the inquiry, it could obstruct efforts to uncover the truth. After retiring, Abraham held significant positions in the Pinarayi Vijayan administration and was considered a trusted aide.
Leave a Comment