Kerala HC issues notice to Thiruvananthapuram mayor Arya Rajendran

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was asked to conduct an investigation into the contentious letter that was allegedly drafted by Thiruvananthapuram mayor Arya Rajendran in order to hire party cadres for the corporation, and the Kerala High Court on Thursday served notices to her.

Justice K Babu issued letters to the state government, mayor, deputy mayor, governing LDF parliament secretary DR Anil Kumar, and the CBI after admitting the plea submitted by GS Sreekumar, a former councillor of the corporation.

It has been scheduled for November 25.

In his petition, Sreekumar said more than one thousand appointments were conducted at the corporation in two years through back door, nepotism and corrupt practices.

He alleged investigation by a state agency will not suffice claiming several political bigwigs could be behind these deals.

He said initially party workers would be taken into temporary posts and later, regularise them leaving other genuine job aspirants in lurch.

“The above act of nepotism is against the oath taken at the time of swearing in while she and party parliamentary secretary should be tried under relevant laws against corruption,” he contended.

He said the mayor and Anil Kumar had subverted employment opportunities of thousands of qualified people like this.

Following the letter’s release last week, there have been a number of protests in the state capital.

A Nagappan requested a list of party activists for appointment to 295 temporary posts in the corporation in a letter purportedly signed by the mayor and addressed to the party district secretary. Despite them the opposition BJP and Congress claimed she was forced to retract her letter after it was made public. The mayor later claimed the letter was not her writing, and the government also ordered an investigation.

The governor of Kerala, Arif Mohammad Khan, who is also embroiled in a dispute with the government, made a similar comment two days prior: “It seems like government employment were reserved primarily for party cadres in Kerala.”

The mayor, however, emphasised that she had not written or sent any letter to the party secretary.

“The government has announced a probe by crime branch. Let the truth come out. The opposition is seeking my resignation till I assumed power two years ago,” said Rajendran.

Opposition Congress and BJP said they will continue their protest till the time she resigns.

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