THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major relief to the LDF government, the Lokayukta on Friday gave a clean chit to Higher Education Minister R Bindu and dismissed the petition of Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala seeking a probe against the minister on allegation of misuse of power, nepotism and corruption in the re-appointment of Gopinath Ravindran as Kannur University Vice-chancellor.
Lokayukta Cyriac Joseph in his verdict said the minister in her capacity as Pro-chancellor had only proposed Gopinath's name to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and that cannot be construed as misuse of power.
The verdict said the Higher Education Minister was not alien to the university and there was nothing wrong in her proposing a name to the governor, who could have either approved it or turned it down.
The Lokayukta said the minister had written a letter to the governor proposing a second term for Gopinath
on the basis of the Attorney General's legal opinion.
During the hearing, the government had produced the files pertaining to the re-appointment of Gopinath.
It also presented the letter written by Governor Arif Mohammad Khan asking the government whether
they were considering any candidate for the post of Vice-chancellor.
The government’s lawyer had said the minister only proposed a name in response to the Governor’s letter.
The petitioner had argued that the re-appointment of Gopinath was in return for appointing the wife of Chief Minister’s political secretary KK Ragesh as an associate professor in Kannur University.
The Lokayukta had earlier observed that the petitioner was yet to submit any evidence to prove that the minister misused her powers or received any favour in return from the Vice-chancellor.
The petitioner had earlier argued that the notification issued on forming a search committee to pick the replacement for Gopinath was later cancelled by the university and that was done to re-appoint Gopinath.
To this the Lokayukta had wondered whether that could be termed as part of corruption.