KOCHI: The police are yet to take the statement of lawyer Saiby Jose Kidangoor, despite the scathing report by the vigilance wing of the Kerala HC that said he had collected kickbacks from clients allegedly to bribe judges for getting favourable orders. The absence of action has raised eyebrows.
TNIE had on Monday published the details of the report that said Siby had collected lakhs from clients taking the names of Justice P V Kunhikrishnan, Justice A Muhamed Mustaque and Justice Ziyad Rahman A A.
Kochi city police commissioner K Sethu Raman said the probe team was collecting details from the lawyers who levelled allegations against Saiby.
“We have recorded the statement of film producer Alwin Antony who is also involved in the issue. Once the process is over, we will call Saiby to record his statement. After this, the probe report will be sent to the state police chief to take a call on whether an FIR should be registered,” Sethu Raman said.
The police summoned Antony based on the revelation by a lawyer who was associated with Saiby earlier. The lawyer said Antony, accused in a rape case, had spent Rs 25 lakh on the case.
Demanding bribes for judges serious, SC in previous order
Alwin Antony had told the lawyer that he had paid Rs 15 lakh as fees to Saiby. When Antony sought a concession, Saiby had said that some amount had to be given to the judge.
The vigilance wing report also said proceedings could be initiated against Saiby as per the Advocates Act. The Supreme Court in the Sambu Ram Yadav vs Hanuman Das Khatry case had observed that demanding bribes for judges is a serious misconduct.
In the case, the top court had also upheld the permanent debarment imposed by the Bar Council on the lawyer who had written to his client demanding a bribe of Rs 10,000 for the judge before whom the case was pending. The SC also said it was the duty of bar councils to ensure lawyers adhere to the required standards and take appropriate action against them if they fail.