Kochi, February 26 The Kerala High Court on Thursday sought the Centre's response to a public interest litigation opposing the Padma Bhushan award being conferred on SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan.
A bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M also issued notice to Natesan, the Kerala government, and the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), seeking their stand on the plea by a Kollam-based trust – Sree Narayana Dharma Prabodhana Samrakshna Samithi.
The trust has claimed that Natesan does not deserve the award, as he is accused in several corruption cases.
The central government was represented by advocate Jaishankar V Nair.
The court listed the matter for further hearing on March 12.
Natesan, a prominent Ezhava leader and general secretary of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, was selected for the country's third-highest civilian award last month.
The trust, in its plea filed through advocate D Anil Kumar, has claimed that Natesan is an accused in a 2020 embezzlement case and several cases registered by the VACB.
In addition, he is also accused in a case of aiding and abetting suicide, the plea said.
It contended that Natesan would fall under the definition of a public servant under the Prevention of Corruption Act, as he is the manager of all state-funded educational institutions run by the SNDP Yogam and Trust.
"It is submitted that the Union of India failed to consider the relevant materials of criminal cases pending against the 4th respondent (Natesan). Non-consideration of such relevant materials makes the conferment of the award arbitrary and illegal."
"Conferring such prestigious awards on an undeserving person will erode the public's faith in such awards," the petition said.