New Delhi: The Supreme Court has paused an earlier order that told the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) to investigate K M Abraham, the chief principal secretary for Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, for allegedly having more money and property than he can explain.
The judges, Dipankar Datta and Manmohan, have asked the CBI, the Kerala government, and the person who complained to respond to Abraham’s appeal. Abraham, represented by senior lawyer R Basant, argued that the CBI cannot file a case without special permission under a law meant to prevent corruption.
Previously, on April 11, the Kerala High Court ordered the CBI to look into the case after activist Jomon Puthenpurackal raised concerns. The court found evidence suggesting Abraham owned more money and properties than he should based on his known income.
The high court was not confident in the investigation done by the local Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) and felt bringing in the CBI would ensure a fair investigation. The high court overturned a 2017 decision made by a local judge who had dismissed Puthenpurackal’s complaints against Abraham. The court called that decision “unreasonable” and noted that the judge should have considered the expensive properties linked to Abraham that the VACB had ignored.
The complaints include claims that Abraham bought a ₹3 crore apartment in Mumbai, another valued at ₹1 crore in Thiruvananthapuram, and built a shopping center worth ₹8 crore in Kollam. Abraham has denied all these claims.
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