Kerala’s Congress-led Government on Thursday filed an application in the Special Vigilance Court in Thrissur seeking permission for withdrawing the sensational case pertaining to the palm oil import scandal in which a former CM and a former Minister, both of Congress, and bureaucrats including former CVC PJ Thomas had been named as accused.
The court, which admitted the application, is expected to take it up on October 26. The UDF Government headed by Congress Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had last month taken a decision to withdraw the palm oil import corruption case which had been haunting the Congress party since 1992.
The Government said in the application that it be allowed to withdraw the palm oil case as it had decided to implement the decision taken in 2005 by the then UDF regime to cancel it. Though the then UDF Government had decided to withdrawn the case in 2005, the CPI(M)-led lDF government which succeeded it had in 2006 decided to continue with it.
The State Home Secretary had already issued an order regarding the Government decision to withdraw the case. However, VS Achuthanandan, Opposition leader in the State Assembly, has approached the SC against the decision.