Kerala to book Congress MP for graft charge against judge

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan Monday said the state police will register a case against Congress MP K.Sudhakaran, who claimed to have witnessed an apex court judge take a Rs.2.1 million bribe some years back at the Kerala House in Delhi.

“This is a very serious issue because he has spoken about a judge receiving bribe money and he was a witness to it. A case is going to be registered against him under section 120 of the IPC (criminal conspiracy). It will be an opportunity for him to reveal who was the judge and who was the person who gave it, and the reason why he became a witness,” Balakrishnan told reporters here.

The statement of Sudhakaran, MP from Kannur, came at a political meeting in Kottarakara Saturday held to express solidarity with party leader R.Balakrishnan Pillai, who was last week sentenced to a year’s imprisonment by the apex court in a corruption case.

“I was a witness when an apex court judge was handed over Rs.3.6 million in two installments at the Kerala House in Delhi, by representatives of bar hotel owners from Kerala and they got a favourable verdict.”

“This happened years back when K. Karunakaran was the chief minister,” said Sudhakaran at the public meeting.

Leader of Opposition and former state chief minister Oommen Chandy said he does not agree with Sudhakaran’s statement.

“I am not aware of the context in which he made this statement. I always have stood by my earlier statements that in no way should the image of the judiciary be tarnished,” said Chandy.

Meanwhile, state Congress chief Ramesh Chennithala said the Congress has always respected the judiciary.

“Sudhakaran’s remark is not against the courts but it was against some judges,” said Chennithala.