Senior lawyer MK Damodaran, chief legal advisor of Kerala’s Marxist Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Monday appeared in the High Court as counsel for controversial lottery businessman Santiago Martin for the second time in eight days despite the controversies triggered by his first appearance in the court for the 'lottery king' on July 4.
Congress, the main Opposition party, instantly charged that the appearance in the Court again by the Chief Minister's legal advisor proved that the CPI(M)-led lDF Government was loyal to Martin, who had been accused of plundering thousands of crores of rupees from the State through his allegedly fraudulent lottery business.
It is interesting to note that Damodaran has been appearing in the High Court for lottery king Martin when a review petition filed by the State Government against the CBI's decision to write-off several lottery-linked cases against him is pending before the same court. The Central probe agency had closed 23 cases against the lottery businessman.
Alleging that Damodaran, a former Advocate General, had appeared as counsel for Martin in the High Court with the knowledge of the Chief Minister, State Congress president VM Sudheeran said, "This proves that the lDF Government values Martin's interests more than the State's interests and public opinion."
However, sources close to Damodaran were of the opinion that there was nothing wrong in his appearing in the court in a case in which the State Government was not a party. Damodaran was acting as Martin’s counsel in a case pertaining to the Enforcement Directorate’s move to attach his property in connection with his lottery business.
Damodaran on Monday presented his arguments in favour of Martin in the court, saying that the Enforcement Directorate’s order to attach the businessman’s property was illegal. The Directorate informed the court that its order to attach property was ratified after hearing Martin's submissions.
Justice PB Suresh Kumar of the High Court posted the case to Thursday. The Opposition parties are waiting to see if the Chief Minister's legal advisor will appear for the lottery king once again. The actual counsel for Santiago Martin in the case is another lawyer, A Kumar, who had submitted the petition for the businessman.
The lotteries case is so important politically in Kerala that Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi had once lost his position as party spokesman after he appeared in the HC on behalf of a Martin-owned company which was said to be the main pillar of the lottery mafia just when the party was running a campaign on the alleged friendship between him and the CPI(M).