The Kerala High Court on Thursday observed that the withdrawal of the palmolein import corruption case could not be allowed in public interest.
Justice P. Ubaid, while upholding the Thrissur vigilance court’s order refusing permission to the government to withdraw the case, ordered that the State government should proceed with the prosecution and the accused would have to face the prosecution in view of the serious allegations of corruption.
The court observed that the withdrawal of the case would have “the effect of stifling or thwarting the legal process and the serious prosecution involving allegation of corruption by ministers and bureaucrats.”
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Dismissing the petition filed by the State government challenging the vigilance court order, the court found that the withdrawal of the case would not serve any public interest. Such a withdrawal might only help the accused personally.
The public prosecutor who made the application for withdrawal of the case before the vigilance court had not applied his mind in good faith.