Kerala Chief MInisiter Pinarayi Vijayan's legal advisor MK Damodaran, who appeared twice in the High Court for shady lottery baron Santiago Martin and even against proclaimed stand of the state government in the High Court, has become a big headache for the ruling Left Democratic Front. The Opposition raised the issue in the Assembly on Thursday and also alleged that the Director General of Prosecution (DGP) appointed by the new government, is an accused in a financial fraud case.
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The Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala questioned the morality of keeping Damodaran as the legal advisor to the Chief Minister while he appeared for Santiago Martin twice, against the stand of the government in the case.
In his response, Pinarayi Vijayan defended Damodaran and said that the legal advisor does not receive remuneration and hence there was no need to stop him from taking up any case professionally. It is Damodaran's prerogative to choose whether to appear in a case or not, the Chief Minister clarified.
Event hough the Chief Minister and the Law Minister AK Balan defended Damodaran's continuation as the advisor, there are reports that the some partners in the LDF are not happy with the controversy surrounding the legal expert.
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Earlier, CPM leader and former Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan, while defending his plea in the Supreme Court for a CBI probe into the Icecream parlour sex trafficking case, had criticised Damodaran for subverting the case.
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Chennithala also alleged in the Assembly on Thursday that the DGP Manjeri Sreedharan Nair is the second accused in a financial fraud case. The Chief Minister should not keep such a person as the DGP, he demanded.
Pinarayi Vijayan defended the DGP as well and said that he cannot believe that Nair would cheat somebody.
