TRIVANDRUM, 1 November 2003 — Kerala High Court yesterday acquitted Transport Minister R. Balakrishna Pillai in the case related to corruption in the construction of the tunnel and surge shaft of Idamalayar hydroelectric power project some years back. The trial court had awarded him five-year rigorous imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 rupees in 1999 against which he went in appeal.
The court also set aside the conviction and sentence of two co-accused persons — former Kerala Electricity Board Chairman K. Ramabhadran Nair and contractor P.K. Sajeev. The special court that tried the case had convicted them for criminal conspiracy, breach of trust and corruption.
The verdict comes as a great relief for the minister who was inducted into the Cabinet by Chief Minister A.K. Antony after he was acquitted in February by the Supreme Court in the Graphite Case Module-I, in which he was accused of illegally selling power to a private company in the neighboring Karnataka state. Antony last week reportedly decided to drop the Module II and Module III of the case as well.
In his judgment, Justice N. Krishnan Nair came down heavily on the prosecution for not conducting the case properly. The court found the then chief engineer P.S. Joseph, arrayed as a witness, responsible for irregularities.
The special court had found the three guilty of three of the six charges and awarded the punishment. However, it acquitted seven others.
Pillai said the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government spent millions of rupees for setting up the special court and conducting long-drawn procedures only to wreak political vengeance on him.
Charles Seeks Spiritual Solace
in Rural India
KUTAIL GAMRI — Heir to the British throne Prince Charles, on the first leg of a tour of rural India, yesterday visited a hermitage, AFP reports.
Charles’ motorcade had to navigate through bullock carts and goat herds as it drove into this village in northern Harayana state, where he inspected welfare projects run by the hermitage.
“I am so glad that I could get here,” Charles told his hosts while avoiding an admirer trying to put a ceremonial turban on his head.
Kutail Gamri, 120 kilometers (72 miles) north of the Indian capital, is one of the 35 villages of Haryana’s Karnal district that benefits from the hermitage’s many projects started for women, children, poor and the infirm.
“This visit will put our work on the international map,” said Anne Robinson of the Aparna Ashram hermitage.
Charles is on his first visit to India since a disastrous six-day trip in February 1992 with his then wife, the late Diana Princess of Wales. They divorced 10 months later.
