Kerala govt opposes plea for CBI probe into controversy over Mayor’s letter

KOCHI, (PTI): The Kerala government on Friday opposed in the High Court a plea seeking CBI probe into the controversy over a letter allegedly written by Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor Arya Rajendran regarding employing party cadres in the civic body. Rajendran told the court that the letter was a fake one.

The government told the court that a case in the matter was registered and the crime branch was probing into it. The government said since the case was registered, the present plea was infructuous.

On November 10, the High Court issued notice and sought the response of the LDF government and the Mayor on a plea seeking the CBI probe or a judicial inquiry into the letter that led to the controversy.

Besides seeking the CBI probe or a judicial inquiry by a Sitting Judge not below the rank of Subordinate Judge, the petitioner G S Sreekumar urged the court to also direct the Vigilance Directorate to register the complaint he had made in connection with the letter.

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 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 said she suspects it to be politically motivated and brushed aside demands for her resignation by the Opposition Congress and the BJP by terming the same as a joke. (PTI)