Govt’s affidavit in favour of two of its officials irks HC

Kochi: The HC on Thursday sharply rebuked the state govt and general administration department (GAD) additional chief secretary for filing an affidavit in support of two govt officials allegedly involved in the illegal erection of a large flex board in front of the state secretariat.
Additional chief secretary KR Jyothilal had submitted an affidavit stating that no departmental action was warranted against the govt officials who are office bearers of the Kerala Secretariat Employees Association (KSEA) in connection with the illegal installation of the flex board. The affidavit claimed that the board had been placed by an external agency and not by the association's office bearers.
Upon reviewing the affidavit, the bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran remarked that it was not only distressing but also a blatant disregard for the legal process, reflecting the casual manner in which court orders are treated by high-ranking officials. The court was considering pleas seeking action against the unauthorized erection of flex boards, flags, and festoons in public spaces.
The bench slammed the state govt and additional chief secretary's stance of supporting the violators, warning that such an approach would set a dangerous precedent. In response, the govt pleader submitted that the additional chief secretary had relied on a police report, which stated that the board was erected by an external agency. However, the court countered this submission by pointing to another section of the same police report, which stated that the board had been installed under the direction of KSEA president P Hony and was paid for by KSEA secretary Ajith Kumar. The court observed that the additional chief secretary filed the affidavit without conducting a proper inquiry.
Meanwhile, the govt pleader requested another opportunity to submit a revised affidavit. The court granted this and posted the case for next week. Previously, the HC had rejected an affidavit in the matter as it failed to clarify whether the actions of the association's leaders constituted a disciplinary violation, leading to the filing of the second affidavit.
The massive flex board was erected in front of the secretariat to announce the inauguration of KSEA's golden jubilee building.
According to the police report, the board requisitioned by KSEA president P Hony and secretary Ajith Kumar was installed by Akhil, the owner of a board-designing agency at Sreekaryam, Thiruvananthapuram. Hony is an additional secretary to the govt, while Ajith is an office assistant in the general administration department.