Kerala HC quashes FIR against Muslim League leader in bribery case

Kochi: The Kerala High Court quashed the FIR registered by the state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) in the alleged bribery case against Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader and former MLA KM Shaji.

The court accepted his contention that the case was not maintainable. According to the case, the former Azhikode MLA has allegedly accepted Rs 25 lakh as a bribe from an aided school management for allocating the Plus Two stream in 2014, during the tenure of the UDF government.

KM Shaji contended in the High Court alleging that the bribery case against him was from 2014, and The Prevention of Corruption Act came under the purview of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act only in 2018. He also pointed out that cases below Rs 30 lakh of bribery do not fall under the act.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached assets worth Rs 25 lakh of Asha Shaji, wife of former Azhikode MLA and IUML leader KM Shaji, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the Plus-Two bribery case in April last year. (ANI)