Housing project scam: Kerala HC stays for two months CBI proceedings against LIFE Mission
Oct 13, 2020
Kochi (Kerala) [India], October 13 : The Kerala High Court on Tuesday stayed for two months all proceedings against the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the LIFE Mission on the FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with a housing project scam.
However, no stay has been issued in the probe against MD, Unitac, who is the first accused.
The order came on a petition filed by the CEO of the Life Mission, Kerala government, seeking directions to quash the FIR registered by the CBI.
Senior Supreme Court lawyer KV Viswanathan, who appeared for the Kerala government during an earlier hearing, had sought to quash the FIR registered by the CBI saying that the state government had no role in the agreement between Red Crescent and the two construction companies - Unitac and Sane Ventures.
The FIR had alleged violation of Section 3 of the Foreign Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, which he countered is not applicable in the case.
CBI's counsel Sasthamangalam S Ajithkumar had submitted that the investigation is at a nascent stage and a thorough probe was necessary to unearth the facts. The agency had said that the plea was not maintainable and the petitioner has no locus standi to seek quashing of the FIR.
It had said that the petitioner (Life Mission CEO) was not named in the FIR and only unknown officials of Life Mission were mentioned in it. "How can a person, who was not implicated in the case, can come out against the FIR," asked the CBI counsel.
The case pertains to spending the foreign fund against the purpose for which it was aimed. Congress MLA Anil Akkara had filed a complaint to the CBI alleging that various middlemen including state representatives and government officials received Rs 4.5 crores as commission.
