The Supreme Court Thursday issued notice to the Kerala government on a plea of former chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan for a special investigation team's report on an alleged sex racket in Kozhikode district, and observed he was entitled to it.
The case dates back to 1997 when NGO Anweshi lodged a complaint that an ice cream parlour was being used as a brothel.
Popularly known as the ice cream parlour sex racket, the case allegedly involved, among others, Industries and IT Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty. He was booked in January 2011.
The apex court bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya issued notice after it was told that the case involved the high and mighty.
The court said, "You are entitled to the copy of the (SIT) report since the charge sheet has been filed".
Achuthanandan, who moved court May 18, said that since it was he who ordered the probe, he had a right to know what exactly has been investigated.
The leader of opposition in Kerala assembly challenged the Kerala High Court's May 2 order, declining to give him the copy of the final report of the SIT investigation.
The high court said the report was not part of its records, and could not be given to Achuthanandan.
Since the report was filed before a magistrate having jurisdiction in the case, he alone could take a decision on Achuthanandan's plea, the high court said.
As senior counsel Shekhar Naphade, appearing for Achuthanandan, told the apex court that his client was entitled to get a copy of the SIT report, the judges observed: "You have been a public representative for so many years, you are entitled to espouse the public cause".
The court also said, "You are entitled to the copy of the report since the charge sheet has been filed".
The case against Kunhalikutty was registered Jan 30, 2011.
The petition said that proper investigation was not carried out into the case as Kunhalikutty became a minister in May 2011 in the Congress-led new government.