Lottery: HC issue notice to PC
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Kochi: Kerala High Court on Tuesday ordered issue of notice to Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on a PIL seeking a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in sale and distribution of lotteries of other states in Kerala.
The order was issued by a division bench, comprising Chief Justice J. Chelemeswar and Justice P. R. Ramachandran Menon on the PIL by one SivanKutty, who claimed that in some cases, Chidambaram's law firm and his wife Nalini had appeared for promoters of other state lotteries.
The notice will be served to Chidambaram through the Lok Sabha Speaker.
The bench also ordered issue of notice to Central and state Governments, CBI, Director of Bhutan Lottery and state of Sikkim.
Earlier today, admitting a petition by Congress MLA V. D. Sateeshan, pleading for a CBI probe, the bench criticised the Centre for not initiating any action on the basis of a letter sent on the issue by the state Chief Minister.
"The ball is in the court of the central government. The central government has to take action in this regard," the bench observed.
"The matter requires examination. An MLA of the ruling party in the central government had to approach the court for intervention in the matter", it said.
When senior counsel for the Sikkim government disputed the petition's maintainability, stating that the vigilance report preferred by the petitioner was considered by the High Court in its 2006 judgement, the court said: "there is something more than vigilance report in the Chief Minister's letter."
The state government said it had not sought dismissal of the petition and was for a CBI probe. It said public interest and reasons cited by the petitioner were 'not bonafide'.
The court said though both parties had alleged political interest in the matter on the petitioner's allegations, it has a constitutional obligation to enquire into them.
The petitions have been posted for hearing after two weeks.
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