Kochi: Petitioner R S Sasikumar has approached the High Court challenging the order of the three-judge Lokayukta bench which rejected his claim that the Chief Minister's relief fund was diverted. The petitioner has sought to strike down the verdict as illegal. Sasikumar had earlier said he would file an appeal against the Lokayukta verdict in the High Court.
On November 13, 2023, the Lokayukta bench rejected the petition citing the chief minister has the authority to allocate the funds and that there was no evidence of the ministers having engaged in corruption or nepotism. Sasikumar filed the plea against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his chief secretary and 18 ministers of the first Pinarayi government, alleging corruption and abuse of power.
A former university employee, R S Sasikumar approached the Lokayukta in 2018 against money from the CM's relief fund being diverted and given to the families of former Chengannur MLA K K Ramachandran Nair and NCP leader Uzhavoor Vijayan in violation of rules. A three-member bench of the Lokayukta accepted the complaint in 2018. Later, a two-judge bench heard the case. Due to differences of opinion, the case was transferred to a three-judge bench in March 2023.