Kerala HC rejects plea for CBI probe into letter purportedly written by TVM Corporation mayor

The Kerala High Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking a CBI probe or a judicial inquiry into the controversial letter allegedly written by Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor Arya Rajendran regarding employing party cadres in the civic body.

Justice K Babu was of the view that there was no substance in the complaint made by the petitioner for ordering a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Advocate K R Rajkumar, who appeared for the petitioner, confirmed the order.

The detailed judgement is yet to be made available.

The petitioner, G S Sreekumar -- a former Councillor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation -- had also urged the court to direct the Vigilance Directorate to register the complaint he had made in connection with the letter.

The leak of the controversial letter had resulted in protests inside and outside the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation office by the BJP and Congress, including their youth and women wings, seeking Rajendran's resignation.

Sreekumar had contended in his plea that Rajendran and LDF Parliamentary Party secretary D R Anil requested the CPI(M) District Secretary to provide the list of party members for appointment to various posts in the Health division of the corporation.

"The above act of nepotism of the Mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation and one of the councillors is very much against the oath taken by both of them at the time of swearing-in as councillors in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.

"This issue itself is having an epic proportion of corruption which has been institutionalised after the present dispensation has come into existence," the petition, filed through advocate Rajkumar, had alleged.

The petitioner had contended the actions of Rajendran and Anil can be seen as "subverting the employment chances of thousands" who are qualified to do the jobs if the same are advertised.

He had also alleged Rajendran and Anil were creating a cadre for their party inside the Corporation "by systematically employing persons who are affiliated with the CPI(M) only." The petition had contended that an investigation by a state agency will not suffice in the matter as "there are political bigwigs who are involved in this operation and have the might to have the issue brushed under the carpet".

The alleged letter, written to the CPI(M) district secretary Anavoor Nagappan, had sought the priority list of party cadres to be appointed in temporary vacancies in the Left-ruled civic body.

The young Mayor has right from the beginning denied that she wrote, signed or sent any such letter and claimed that it appeared to be "edited".

She has also said she suspects it to be politically motivated and also brushed aside demands for her resignation by the opposition Congress and BJP, by terming the same as a "joke".