SC grants two weeks to Kerala to respond to Karunakaran plea

New Delhi, Oct 22 (UNI) The Supreme Court today granted two weeks time to state of Kerala to respond to the application filed by former Kerala Chief Minister K Karunakaran challenging the decision of the Left Front government in the state to continue with the prosecution against him in the palmoilen scandal case.

A bench comprising Justices A K Mathur and Markandey Katju granted the time after counsel for the state government prayed for time to file its response.

Earlier, Congress government in the state had moved an application in the apex court seeking permission to withdraw the case against the senior Congress leader. But with the change of ruling party in the state there was a ''change of heart'' and the new Left Front government filed another application informing the Supreme Court of its decision to continue the proceedings against Mr Karunakarn.

Mr Karunakaran challenged the decision of the new government to review the decision of the earlier government without giving any reasons.

Mr Karunakaran is facing trial for causing a loss of over Rs two crore to the state exchequer in the import of palmoilen when he was Chief Minister of the state in 1990s.

UNI