Brewery License Case | Kerala High Court Extends Stay On Vigilance Court's Order Directing State To Produce Files

The Kerala High Court on Monday extended its stay on the Thiruvanathapuram vigilance court order, which had directed the State to produce the files related to the brewery allotment corruption case. 

Justice K. Babu extended the stay while considering a plea filed by the State Government challenging the vigilance court order.

The case pertains to the alleged graft in the issuance of brewery licences by the previous administration of the ruling party. Approvals for breweries were allegedly given to three distilleries but it was revoked after the opposition challenged the same. 

Senior Congress Leader Ramesh Chennithala thereafter approached the Vigilance Court alleging nepotism and corruption in the allocation of the licences of breweries from 2016 to 2021 and had named Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former Excise Minister T.P. Ramakrishnan as respondents. Chennithala had sought documents relating to the case under Section 17 A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Thiruvananthapuram Special Viligance Court had previously allowed the plea, thereby directing the Principal Secretary (Tax) to submit the government files pertaining to the sanction given for the said breweries. 

Challenging the same, the State had moved the High Court. The State had also prayed that the High Court be pleased to quash all the proceedings pending before the Vigilance court in the case.

It had further argued that the complaint filed by the Congress leader did not disclose any offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act while adding that the Vigilance court had no power to conduct an inquiry over a private complaint without production of sanction from the State in the matter.

The matter will be taken up for hearing on 9th August. 

Case Title: State of Kerala v. Ramesh Chennithala