KOCHI: The CBI Court here on Thursday four accused persons, including two officers of the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), in a graft case registered in 2007. The court acquitted NSIC senior branch manager K P Kamalakaran, NSIC deputy manager KK Manoj, proprietor of Origin Herbs Research, Venjaramoodu, Madhu and Bhaskaran Nair.
The case pertains to the sanctioning of Raw Material Assistance Facility benefiting the co-accused persons. According to CBI, the accused conspired to sanction facility and cheated NSIC to the tune of `22, 13, 444. After registering the FIR on February 28, 2007, the CBI arrested second accused Madhu on April 14, 2007.
Later, the probe agency filed a chargesheet against the four accused persons. Advocate Thomas Abraham Nilackappilli appeared for the accused. While giving the verdict, the court observed the CBI failed to establish charges against the accused. As many as 35 witnesses, 111 documents and three material objects were examined by the court as part of the trial.