Govt to approach high court supporting Jaleel? can openly oppose Lokayukta verdict, govt gets legal advice

KOCHI: The government has received the legal advice that it can directly oppose the Lokayukta verdict on relative appointment row against minister K T Jaleel, following which he resigned from the ministership, and filed an appeal in court. Questioning the Lokayaukta verdict, K T Jaleel has approached the high court. The Advocate General(AG) has also given the legal advice that the government can also file an appeal against the Lokayukta verdict along with Jaleel.

AG has informed the government that Lokayukta has issued the verdict against Jaleel violating the existing norms and rules. In the legal advice AG also says that the judicial body has violated section nine in the Lokayukta act. Section nine says that if a complaint is received, then the accused should be given a copy of the complaint.

The advocate general also notes that the copy of the complaint was given to Jaleel along with the final verdict, hence it won’t stand legally. AG also says that the government can adopt subsequent legal procedures based on this contention.

Meanwhile, the high court has completed the preliminary hearing on Jaleel’s appeal against the Lokayukta verdict and has postponed its further hearing and verdict to a later date. The lawyer has also informed the division bench that Jaleel has resigned from the minister’s post. Jaleel resigned from the ministership yesterday afternoon, while the hearing on his appeal was progressing in the high court.