PIL filed in HC against selection of Vellappally Natesan for Padma Bhushan award

Kochi: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in high court challenging the conferring of Padma Bhushan award on Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) general secretary Vellappally Natesan by the Union govt, alleging that he has criminal antecedents.A bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice V M Syam Kumar, while considering the PIL filed by Sree Narayana Dharma Prabodhana Samrakshan Samithi, a registered trust with office in Kollam, sought instructions from the central govt and posted the matter to March 12.The samithi claimed that the central govt conferred the award on Natesan without considering the criminal cases pending against him. They alleged that a money embezzlement case in connection with S N College, an institution run by S N Trust, is pending before the chief judicial magistrate court in Kollam. They added that he is an accused in a vigilance case involving the embezzlement of around Rs 15 crore. The petitioners further alleged that he is facing a criminal case registered at Mararikulam police station in Alappuzha in connection with the suicide of a close aide of his.The PIL also cites a media interview of Natesan in which he allegedly made derogatory remarks about the Padma Awards, stating that they were a purchasable commodity. The plea says that conferring such a prestigious award on an undeserving person would erode public faith in such honours. The Supreme Court, in Balaji Raghavan vs Union of India, laid down several remedial measures to ensure that such awards are conferred on deserving persons. However, the petitioners alleged that the central govt failed to consider these aspects while selecting Natesan.