The newly formed Congress government in Kerala seems to be heading for a controversy that has an uncanny similarity to the CVC PJ Thomas episode at Centre.
While the Congress-led government at the Centre appointed a corruption accused as the chief of India’s anti-corruption body, in Kerala, the days old Congress-led government has appointed an advocate accused of helping a Muslim League leader ‘influence’ a judge in a criminal investigation.
The appointment of PC Iype as the additional advocate general — one of the most senior positions in the state legal department — had drawn fire from across the political spectrum.
“There was no need to appoint a tainted person to the position where there were so many other untainted advocates who could have been appointed,” pointed out Sukumar Azhikode, a former leftist intellectual leader, not associated with any political party.
Like the appointment of PJ Thomas, Iype’s selection too has raised hackles of anti-corruption crusaders.
Iype was the middle-man who helped Muslim League leader and the second most powerful minister in the Kerala cabinet PK Kunhalikutty reach out to judges for a favorable verdict in the ‘ice cream parlour’ case, alleged his estranged associate and co-brother KA Rouf a few months back.
Kunhalikutty has been accused of sexual exploitation by Regina, and Rouf later ‘confirmed’ the allegations in a press conference after he fell out with Kunhalikutty. The case is still being probed, even as Kunhalikutty’s current status as the head of the second biggest party in the ruling coalition and the second-most powerful man in the council may come under attack from the Left parties in the coming days.
In a very similar case, the appointment of a ‘tainted’ CVC was struck down by the Supreme Court which pointed out that people in the realm of suspicion should not be appointed to sensitive posts that require candidates of the highest moral and ethical standards.
Another accused in a similar molestation case, PJ Joseph, has also been included in the 19 member council of ministers, leading to opposition charges that the council is full of ‘molesters.’