Kerala HC upholds order for further probe against KM Mani in bar bribery case

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala High Court on Monday dealt a big blow to state's Finance Minister KM Mani as it upheld the Vigilance court’s order to conduct further probe against him in connection with a bar bribery case.

The Kerala High Court, while passing the order, said that it finds no reason to interfere with the findings of facts by Vigilance court, which ordered a re-probe in the bar bribery case.

The Kerala government had last week appealed to the high court seeking to quash the Vigilance court order for further probe into the bar bribery case against K Mani.

However, with the high court now refusing to stay the Vigilance court’ order, the demand for Mani’s ouster would gain momentum within the ruling front.

Observing that “Caesar’s wife should be above suspicion'', Kerala High Court judge B Kamal Pasha asked why the government was worried about further probe into the case.

The court flayed the government for spending tax payers’ money to defend a minister who is facing serious corruption allegations.

Congress spokesman Rajmohan Unnithan said the party executive would discuss the issue in the executive committee later this week.

After the civic poll results were out last week, several Congress leaders have said in public that the bar bribery scandal was a major factor that contributed for the ruling front’s rout in the civic polls.

Many leaders have openly demanded the resignation of Mani in the wake of the poll debacle.