Chennithala not to be arrested, says HC

KOCHI: The high court on Tuesday declined to stay investigation into the Titanium corruption case of 2005 and directed that the incumbent home minister Ramesh Chennithala shall not be arrested or interrogated until further orders.
"Investigation as such cannot be now stayed. However, arrest of the petitioner herein, and also his interrogation as part of the investigation will stand deferred until further orders," justice P Ubaid ordered.
The investigating officer in the case can decide who can be included in the list of accused, and who can be avoided, the order stated.
Further, the court asked the investigating officer to consider Chennithala's contention that the allegation of conspiracy against him is not sustainable as he had not taken charge as the KPCC president at the time when government's clearance for the deal was obtained.
"It is his definite case that as on the date of the alleged incident, or other relevant time he was not in fact the president, and that he assumed charge only much later. This important aspect will have to be considered by the investigating officer in the process of investigation," the court specified in the order.
In the petition, Chennithala had questioned Thiruvananthapuram vigilance court's order on August 28 to register an FIR against him.
The case relates to alleged corruption in the setting up of an effluent treatment plant at Travancore Titanium, estimated at Rs 256 crore.
The court had also asked to register an FIR against chief minister Oommen Chandy and public works minister VK Ebrahim Kunju along with Ramesh Chennithala in the case.