synopsis
The Supreme Court has stayed the CBI probe into disproportionate assets allegations against KM Abraham, Chief Principal Secretary to Kerala's CM.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has temporarily halted the CBI investigation into allegations of disproportionate assets against KM Abraham, the Chief Principal Secretary to Kerala's Chief Minister. This decision comes after Abraham appealed the Kerala High Court's directive for a CBI probe.
Abraham's lawyer argued that the case was filed without prior government sanction, which is mandatory under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The Supreme Court accepted this argument and issued notices to the CBI, Kerala government, and the complainant, activist Jomon Puthenpurackal.
The allegations against Abraham include acquiring assets disproportionate to his income, including an apartment worth Rs 3 crore in Mumbai, an apartment worth Rs 1 crore at Thycaud in Thiruvananthapuram, and a three-storey shopping complex at Kadappakkada in Kollam district worth Rs 8 crore. Abraham has denied all allegations.
The Kerala High Court had ordered the CBI probe after finding the initial investigation by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to be inadequate. The High Court criticized the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau's inquiry as lacking rigor and credibility.
Jomon Puthenpurackal reacted to the Supreme Court's stay, stating that it was purely on technical grounds and that the court acknowledged the validity of the issues he raised. The court also inquired about property details in Kadappakada and Mumbai.