THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: RS Sasikumar, the petitioner in the CM relief fund case, has said that he lost his faith in the judiciary as a petitioner after the Lokayukta attended the Iftar party organised by the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister hosted the Iftar party on Tuesday. Several people, including the Leader of the Opposition, attended the Iftar party.

The Lokayukta's name was not mentioned in the newsletter released by the government. It is alleged that the government invited Lokayukta Justice Cyriac Joseph and Upa Lokayukta Justice Harun Rashid to the party and that they both attended the event. RS Sasikumar alleged that the Lokayukta and Upa Lokayukta were invited to the event as a token of gratitude for issuing a verdict that gave interim relief to the Chief Minister. He also said that the two judges should have stayed away from the Iftar party even if they were invited by the government.

Earlier, NK Premachandran had stated that the presence of Lokayukta and Upa-Lokayukta at the Iftar party questioned the sense of justice and was inappropriate. He said that this was contrary to the self-restrictions and conventions followed by the administrators and judges in independent India.

"There is an oddity in the CM, who is a party in the case being considered by the Lokayukta, inviting the judges as guests and the judges accepting the invitation. This gathering comes as the parties try to seek redress from the higher courts on the order of the Lokayukta. It should be examined whether the Lokayukta and Upa-Lokayukta followed the disciplines that the judges are supposed to follow. It is illogical for those who attended the Iftar party as guests to hear the case against the Chief Minister and pronounce the verdict. The stand of the Lokayukta sabotages the general perception of the sense of justice," Premachandran said.

The CM relief fund 'misuse' case against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was referred to the three-member full bench following a difference of opinion between the judges. The full bench will pronounce the verdict after hearing the arguments again. The date for this will also be announced later.