Lok Ayukta has no power to conduct suo moto investigation:HC

Kochi, Sep 15 (UNI) The Kerala High Court today quashed the proceedings launched by the State Lok Ayukta against former Health Minister K K Ramachandran and held that the Lok Ayukta has no power to conduct investigation suo moto or to initiate proceedings on anonymous or pseudonymous letters.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice V K Bali and Justice M Ramachandran also quashed the complaint against former health minister's private secretary P Radhakrishnan, initiated suo moto by the Lok Ayukta based on a letter complaint.

The proceedings initiated against Industries Director T O Sooraj, Women's Development Corporation Managing Director N Sadasivan and Warehousing Corporation Managing Director G Mohandas were also set aside in the same judgement.

The bench held that if the Lok Ayukta decides to proceed with a letter complaint, the complainant should be called upon to set right the defects by complying with the necessary rules in the Lok Ayukta Rules 1999 and then only intitiate further action.

The bench further said that if the Lok Ayukta decides to proceed on the basis of a newspaper report, the editor or correspondent should be called to give a complaint, as envisaged in the rules, supported by a declaration and an affidavit.

UNI XR ARC ROY BDP HS1851