Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala High Court has sharply criticised the state government for repeatedly refusing to allow prosecution in the long-pending corruption case linked to the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation. The court said the government’s actions appeared to protect those accused of serious wrongdoing and warned that such delays weaken public trust.
The case concerns alleged irregularities in the import of raw cashew between 2006 and 2015. The Central Bureau of Investigation has accused former KSCDC chairman R Chandrasekharan and former managing director K A Ratheesh of favouring a private supplier through dishonest tender procedures, causing large losses to the public-sector corporation.
Although the CBI completed its investigation years ago, the prosecution could not begin because the state government refused to grant sanction under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The High Court had earlier ordered the government to reconsider the request, but the Industries Department again declined permission.
During the latest hearing, the bench expressed deep disappointment. The judges said it was “deplorable” that a government that once promised clean governance now seemed to stand with those accused of corruption. The court questioned why the authorities were unwilling to allow the legal process to move forward and asked who was being protected.
The court has now directed the government to file its response to the contempt plea within a week. It also observed that the repeated refusal to grant sanction had slowed down the search for truth and justice in a case involving large public funds.
The cashew corporation case has been under investigation for almost a decade. Despite the financial scale of the alleged losses and the seriousness of the charges, the trial has not started because of the dispute over prosecution sanction. The High Court’s strong remarks have again brought attention to the growing frustration over delays in corruption cases involving public institutions.
Further hearings are expected in the coming weeks.