Minister’s plaint: HC asks his rival candidate to apologise

Kochi: Shaji J Kodankandath of Thrissur, who filed a plea seeking a vigilance probe into the alleged corruption in the purchase of digital survey equipment, has been directed by high court to publish an apology within a week for his press release, which had allegedly misrepresented a court directive.A bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice V M Syam Kumar issued the order in response to a letter written by revenue minister K Rajan to the HC registrar general, alleging that Shaji had made a misleading media statement claiming that the court had ordered a "detailed enquiry" into the allegations in his petition. Despite Shaji having filed an affidavit disowning his alleged statement published in a Malayalam daily, the court, upon perusal of the press release issued by him, rejected his contention.On his undertaking that he would publish an apology admitting the mistake in the daily within a week, the court observed that his petition seeking a vigilance probe into the alleged corruption in the purchase of digital survey equipment may be heard on merits, subject to the publication being made to the satisfaction of the court.The editor of the Malayalam daily that carried the alleged news report appeared in person before HC and filed an affidavit explaining the circumstances that led to the erroneous publication. The editor was also directed to publish an apology and the correct version of the court's directive on the front page within a week. HC adjourned the petition to April 6.Shaji is the Congress candidate in Ollur in the upcoming assembly election, while Rajan is the CPI candidate.In his PIL, Shaji alleged that the purchase of equipment for the digital re-survey of 1,550 villages in the state had caused a loss of more than Rs 150 crore to the public exchequer. While considering the petition on Feb 19, the court had sought details of the steps taken by the vigilance department on a complaint regarding the allegations. However, Shaji allegedly stated at a press meet held in Thrissur that the court had ordered a probe into the matter, prompting the revenue minister to lodge a complaint with HC registrar.