Supreme Court
Indian Union Muslim League leader KM Shaji got a big relief from the Supreme Court on Wednesday. The court upheld the decision of the Kerala High Court in the bribery and money laundering case against him. The High Court dismissed the charges against Shaji.
This decision of the High Court was challenged in the Supreme Court by the Government of Kerala and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Supreme Court Justice Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih bench said the High Court’s decision is correct and there is no justification for bringing it up for rehearing.
What is the problem?
KM Shaji was accused of accepting a bribe of Rs 25 lakh from a school principal for changing the rules of the Plus-Two curriculum in Kerala in 2014-15. Accusations of money laundering were also made in this case. However, the Supreme Court said the ED and the Kerala government failed to prove these allegations. During this period, the statements of a total of 54 witnesses were recorded.
During the hearing, the court said there was no indication in any witness statement that Shaji had personally asked for or accepted the money. A total of 54 statements have been recorded but no witness has said that they were asked for money and given money. We have seen and heard the entire record from a total of 50 witnesses, including the manager.
Last year, ED raided Shaji’s house and seized Rs 47 lakh in cash. The Kerala High Court later ordered the ED to return the seized amount to Shaji.
Two-time MLA from Azhikode
KM Shaji has been MLA from Azhikode in Kannur district of Kerala twice. However, in 2018, the High Court disqualified him on charges of seeking votes in the name of religion and uniting people along communal lines.
Shaji is a popular political face in Kerala, but he is also known for his controversial statements. His statements against the former Chief Minister and the LGBTQ+ community have also sparked controversies earlier.
