KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed the petition filed by former Minister for Higher Education and Minority Welfare K T Jaleel seeking to quash the Lok Ayukta's order finding him guilty of nepotism and abuse of power in the appointment of his second cousin KT Adeeb as general manager of Kerala State Minorities Development Finance Corporation Limited.
The court also upheld the findings of the Lok Ayukta that Jaleel was unfit to continue as a minister, for violation of his oath of office.
Jaleel resigned from the post following the order of the Lok Ayukta on April 13.
The Lok Ayukta had also held that the conduct of Jaleel "violated the oath of office he had taken to discharge his duties as a Minister without fear or favour, effect or ill-will".
A Division Bench comprising Justice PB Suresh Kumar and Justice K Babu observed that the petition lacks merit and accordingly dismissed it.
In his petition, Jaleel submitted that the order was passed without conducting any preliminary investigation or adjudicating on whether the complaint against him was to be entertained or not. The Lok Ayukta had proceeded to finalise its report solely based on the oral arguments of the parties.
The Lok Ayukta ought not to have entertained the complaint, since the matter related to prescription of qualification and appointment to the Minority Corporation which had been excluded from the purview of the investigation under the Lok Ayukta Act, he had submitted.