The Kerala government informed the High Court it will appeal against a trial court’s critical remarks on CM Pinarayi Vijayan while hearing the corruption case against ADGP MR Ajith Kumar. The HC extended its stay on proceedings till September 18.
New Delhi: The Kerala High Court on Friday was informed that the State government will be moving a plea against certain critical remarks made by a trial court about Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in a corruption case related to Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) MR Ajith Kumar.
Justice A Badhurudeen heard the matter during the hearing of a petition filed by ADGP Ajith Kumar.
The senior officer had approached the High Court challenging the trial court’s decision to go ahead with a disproportionate assets case against him, even though the vigilance department had submitted a report clearing him of all charges.
The controversy began when the trial court refused to close the corruption case and went on to make remarks that politicians and senior government officials may have tried to interfere in the inquiry.
The trial court observed that the vigilance department, which had given a clean chit to Ajith Kumar, was directly under the control of the Chief Minister, and raised doubts about the role of “so-called constitutional dignitaries.”
In its order, the trial court said:
“The allegation raised by the complainant is that there was intervention at the instance of departmental officers, bureaucrats, and politicians to subvert the enquiry initiated against the suspected officer. The question is: What is the role of the so-called constitutional dignitaries in the enquiry initiated against the high-ranking police officer? It is a fact that the vigilance department falls under the control of the Chief Minister of the State; it is solely for governance and nothing more.”
The State government, represented by the public prosecutor, informed the High Court on Friday that it will be filing an appeal to challenge these remarks made by the trial court.
The High Court has now posted ADGP Ajith Kumar’s appeal for further hearing on September 18. Until then, the Court has also extended the interim stay that had earlier been granted against the criminal proceedings initiated against him.
The allegations against ADGP Ajith Kumar were originally raised by PV Anvar, an independent MLA from Nilambur supported by the LDF. In 2024, Anvar accused the senior police officer of amassing disproportionate wealth through illegal means.
He alleged that the officer was involved in gold and hawala transactions, illegal timber felling from government lands, and even phone tapping.
Anvar also addressed a press conference at that time, where he accused the ADGP of constructing a luxurious mansion in Thiruvananthapuram, suggesting that it was built with money obtained from illegal activities.
Following these serious accusations, an inquiry was launched by the vigilance authorities. The vigilance later submitted its report stating that Ajith Kumar was innocent and there was no evidence to prove the allegations.
However, on August 14, the special court hearing the case rejected the vigilance department’s clean chit and also criticised the officers who carried out the inquiry.
Challenging this order, Ajith Kumar approached the Kerala High Court. With the State government now set to appeal against the remarks directed at the Chief Minister, the matter is expected to see further arguments and scrutiny in the coming days.
Case Title:
MR Ajith Kumar v State of Kerala.
Click Here to Read Previous Reports on Firecracker Ban
