SC grants time to former Minister to file documents

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 13. The Supreme Court today granted four weeks time to the former Kerala Electricity Minister and Kerala Congress(B) leader, Mr. R. Balakrishna Pillai, to file additional documents and his appeal in the `graphite corruption case'.

In March the court admitted the special leave petition filed by Mr. Pillai against the Kerala High Court judgment dated March 2 upholding the trial court's order convicting and sentencing him to undergo one-year imprisonment. He surrendered on March 16 and the Apex Court while granting bail to Mr. Pillai had ordered notice to the Kerala Government and others.

Today a Bench comprising the Chief Justice Mr. A.S. Anand and Mr. Justice R.C. Lahoti directed Mr. Pillai to submit additional documents and a rejoinder within four weeks.

The case against Mr. Balakrishna Pillai was that he and the former Chairman of the State Electricity Board, Mr. P. Kesava Pillai, had sold 1,22,41,440 units of power at the rate of 42 paise per unit illegally to the Karnataka-based Graphite Industries Ltd. during October 1984 to August 1985 without the consent of the Kerala Government.

Their action had allegedly resulted in pecuniary advantage to the tune of Rs. 19,58,630.40 to Graphite India Ltd.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : National
Previous : LTTE's criticism based on 'false premises'
Next     : Motivated charges