HC quashes vigilance court order against ADGP

In a significant relief to both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government and senior IPS officer MR Ajith Kumar, the Kerala High Court (HC) on Friday set aside a Special Vigilance Court order that had cancelled the clean chit earlier granted to the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) in a disproportionate assets case.

- AM Abdussalam

The High Court also expunged a series of critical remarks made by the Vigilance Court against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Chief Minister's Office, observing that the comments had neither legal foundation nor evidentiary backing.

The ruling by Justice A Badharudeen came on a petition filed by the state government in August, seeking the removal of what it described as “disparaging and unwarranted observations” contained in multiple paragraphs of the Vigilance Court order.

The court made it clear that the special judge had exceeded jurisdiction by questioning the role of the chief minister in the administrative handling of a Vigilance report.