The Kerala High Court on Thursday orally observed that the investigation by the CBI into the alleged irregularities in the Life Mission Housing Project in Wadakkancherry, Thrissur could not be stopped.
Justice V.G. Arun made the observation when a petition , filed by Life Mission Chief Executive Officer U.V. Jose challenging the First Information Report (FIR) registered by the CBI in a court here, in connection with the alleged irregularities in the Life Mission Housing Project in Thrissur, came up for hearing.
The court also declined a plea by Senior Supreme Court lawyer K.V. Viswanathan appearing for the CEO, for an order restraining the CBI from taking any coercive steps against the CEO. He pointed out that the agency had issued a notice asking him to produce certain documents in connection with the project.
The court added orally that there were certain grey areas in the issue. "Let the investigation go on", the court said, even as it issued notice to CBI and others, and asked the LIFE Mission to cooperate with the probe.
The Chief Executive Officer in his petition contended that the CBI had registered the FIR with mala fide intention and the agency was guided by political and extraneous considerations. The FIR had alleged violation of section 3 of the Foreign Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. In fact, the Life Mission had not accepted any contribution, much less any foreign contributions. The contractual agreement for the construction of the buildings under the Life Mission was executed between the Consular General of United Arab Emirate and Unitac, a construction company. It was the sponsors which had selected Unitac and Sane Ventures, another construction company for carrying out the construction of the buildings under the project. Neither the State government nor Life Mission had any role in the section of contractors.
The petitioner pointed out that the construction companies which had inked agreements with Consulate General of United Arab Emirates did not come under any categories of persons prohibited from receiving any foreign contributions under Section 3 of the Act. The category of the persons included candidates for election, correspondent, columnist, cartoonist, editor, owner, printer or publisher of a registered newspaper, judges, government servants or employee of government controlled bodies, member of any legislature, political parties or companies engaged in the production or broadcast of audio news or audio visual news or current affairs programmes through any electronic mode etc.
The court adjourned the hearing on the petition to October 8.
