Land scam: HC lets vigilance go on with probe against Adoor Prakash

Kochi: The Kerala High Court will not interfere in a petition filed by state revenue minister Adoor Prakash against a quick verification ordered by a lower court against him. The high court did no stay the Muvattupuzha vigilance court's order against the minister in a land scam involving controversial godman Santhosh Madhavan.

The minister had submitted an appeal seeking revision of the Muvattupuzha court's order that a quick verification must be conducted against him in connection with a cabinet decision, which gave nod for a private firm to reclaim 127 acres of paddy field at Puthenvelikkara in Ernakulam. The minister in his petition said that he had not personally interfered in the cabinet's decision.

The quick verification was ordered on a petition filed by Gireesh Babu, a Kalamassery native, seeking inquiry against six people including chief minister Oommen Chandy. The court, however, exempted Chandy from the preliminary inquiry.

The directive by vigilance court came a week after the state government cancelled an order returning 112 acre of government-owned surplus land to Santhosh Madhavan for building an IT park.