KM Mani may fight legal battle alone
Beleaguered leader may file SLP in SC
Kochi: Beleaguered Kerala Congress leader K.M. Mani, currently facing political isolation within the UDF, is all set to fight a lonely legal battle in the Supreme Court.
Top sources with the state's legal team confirmed that Mr Mani would challenge the single bench order in which there were several adverse remarks against him.
He would also seek to expunge the adverse remarks against him as well as to set aside the Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance court order directing the VACB to conduct a further investigation.
A special leave petition would be filed before the Supreme Court once the court reopens after Diwali holidays on November 16. Since the plea before the single bench was Original Petition Criminal in nature he cannot challenge the order before a division bench, sources said.
“The single judge without issuing notices to Kerala Congress leader K M Mani made damning remarks against him. He didn't get a chance to submit his views before the High Court,” a top law officer close to the Mani camp said.
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Sources added that even during the resignation drama on Tuesday, discussions were on for challenging the order before the apex court.
Mr Mani was the 12th respondent in the plea filed by the Vigilance. Mr Mani's camp decided to move the apex court after the government / Vigilance department decided not to challenge the single bench order.
Sources close to the Advocate-General's office claimed that the government will not challenge it as the single bench order, in fact, is in favour of the Vigilance department.
The Vigilance is unlikely to challenge the single bench order of Justice Kemal Pasha as his judgment had expunged the remarks against the Vigilance. The expunging is seen as a favourable verdict for the department.
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