SC nod to Kerala court for trial in palmolein oil scam

The Supreme Court today allowed a Kerala court to go ahead with the trial in the multi-crore palmolein oil scam involving Chief Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas and then Chief Minister K Karunakaran.
A bench of justices Aftab Alam and R M Lodha gave the green signal after treating Karunakaran’s appeal as abated in view of his death last month.
The Kerala government had earlier moved the apex court seeking vacation of its stay on the trial in the palmolein oil import case in which Thomas is an accused. The Supreme Court had in August 2007, stayed proceedings in the case before a designated CBI court in Kerala. The charge sheet in the case was filed in 2000 against Karunakaran and seven senior state government officials, including Thomas, who was then Kerala Food Secretary.
The case pertains to the import of palm oil from a Singapore firm, which was allegedly done at prices higher than the international rate.