NEW DELHI: In a big blow to CPM, Kerala HC in a rare order Friday warned state police against "coming under pressure from any political or bureaucratic quarters" and directed the investigating officer to expedite probe of money laundering charges against top functionaries of the state's governing party and place on record all documents within three months before the court.
The investigation is related to alleged fraud and siphoning off more than Rs 150 crore of funds of Thrissur-based Karuvannur Cooperative Bank, in which just three days ago ED had interrogated CPM central committee member and Lok Sabha MP K Radhakrishnan.
In the order, passed on a writ petition filed by ED, Justice DK Singh directed Kerala police to "investigate the role of all accused, who had been named by ED in ECIR filed by the agency". The court asked the investigating officer (IO) to collect the affidavit and copy of ECIR from ED's counsel while cautioning the officer not to come under pressure from any political or bureaucratic quarters.
"He (IO) is expected to carry out the investigation in a fair manner without being influenced or coming under any pressure from anywhere. If this court finds that the investigation has not been carried out properly and the roles of political activists have not been investigated fairly, the IO will bear the brunt for his dereliction of duty," said the order - one of the harshest issued against any state administration for not cooperating with the central agency, which led to the writ being filed in HC.
HC emphasised the "investigation must be fair and thorough, especially concerning political activists, and any failure will result in accountability".
The investigation is related to alleged fraud and siphoning off more than Rs 150 crore of funds of Thrissur-based Karuvannur Cooperative Bank, in which just three days ago ED had interrogated CPM central committee member and Lok Sabha MP K Radhakrishnan.
In the order, passed on a writ petition filed by ED, Justice DK Singh directed Kerala police to "investigate the role of all accused, who had been named by ED in ECIR filed by the agency". The court asked the investigating officer (IO) to collect the affidavit and copy of ECIR from ED's counsel while cautioning the officer not to come under pressure from any political or bureaucratic quarters.
"He (IO) is expected to carry out the investigation in a fair manner without being influenced or coming under any pressure from anywhere. If this court finds that the investigation has not been carried out properly and the roles of political activists have not been investigated fairly, the IO will bear the brunt for his dereliction of duty," said the order - one of the harshest issued against any state administration for not cooperating with the central agency, which led to the writ being filed in HC.
HC emphasised the "investigation must be fair and thorough, especially concerning political activists, and any failure will result in accountability".
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