The Kerala High Court on Tuesday stayed for two months all further proceedings against Riji G Nair, Managing Director of Kerala State Co-operative Consumers Federation, and R Jayakumar, Chief Manager, pending before the Court of Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge, Thrissur.
The petitioners were arrayed as accused in an FIR filed by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau and the offences alleged against them are under Sections 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and under Sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The case is that the petitioners, while procuring various essential commodities in 2011-12, allegedly diluted the tender proceedings and store purchase rules so as to cause huge fiscal loss to the government and, correspondingly, gain to the suppliers of Consumerfed.Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate P Vijayabhanu submitted that the FIR does not make out any offence against the petitioners. The continuation of the proceedings against them, therefore, is an abuse of the process of the court.
Before registering an FIR against a public servant, the agency has to conduct a preliminary enquiry, but it was not followed in the case.
The petitioners’ names were included as they are the managing director and the chief manger of Consumerfed.
All decisions with regard to the working of Consumerfed are taken by the board of directors and the purchase committee.