'Did the Secretary just sign an order prepared by the accused?' High Court initiates contempt of court proceedings against K Biju

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has come down heavily on K. Biju, IAS, Secretary in charge of the Cashew Development Department, in connection with the Cashew Development Corporation corruption case. The court has also initiated contempt of court proceedings against the senior official, holding that a prosecution sanction order issued by him amounted to defying the court's authority. The High Court directed K. Biju to appear in person on Friday and explain the circumstances under which the order was issued.

The single bench observed that the official's actions were a serious challenge to the judicial system. During the hearing, which lasted around 25 minutes, the court made sharp remarks against the officer. It also questioned whether the government order had simply been issued based on what the accused had submitted, with only a government order (GO) number added. The court further asked how the officer continued to remain in service despite such actions. The court said the official had committed a very serious mistake and made it clear that there would be no leniency in the matter.

The High Court also criticised the fact that the accused received the government order on prosecution sanction before it was officially released by the government. It noted that the main accused, R. Chandrasekharan, held a press conference and read out the portions of the order that referred to the court, describing it as a serious act of contempt.

The court also questioned whether the order had been issued to help the accused. It mocked K. Biju's earlier explanation that he did not have enough time because of the court's directions. The bench asked how an official who claimed he had no time five days earlier was able to quickly issue a revised order later.