The Kerala High Court has directed Shaji Kodankandath, United Democratic Front candidate in Ollur, to publish an apology within a week about a press release he is said to have issued allegedly misrepresenting a court directive about ‘corruption’ in the purchase of digital survey equipment.
A Division Bench of Justice Soumen Sen and Justice V.M. Syam Kumar issued the order after considering a letter written by Revenue Minister K. Rajan (Left Democratic Front candidate in the constituency) to the Registrar General of the court.
In it, Mr. Rajan alleged that Mr. Kodankandath issued a misleading media statement, claiming that the court had ordered a detailed inquiry into the corruption allegations.
After perusing the press release, the court rejected the contention in Mr. Kodankandath’s affidavit disowning his statement published in a Malayalam daily. At this stage, the petitioner has not disowned the circulation of the press release to the reporters. Therefore, the petitioner cannot disown the contents of the press release, which clearly conveys that the court had directed an inquiry regarding the purchase of digital survey equipment, the court observed.
Subsequently, he agreed to publish an apology admitting his mistake in the daily within a week.
