Pillai surrenders, sent to prison

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH 16. The Kerala Congress(B) leader and former Power Minister, Mr. R. Balakrishna Pillai, against whom the Vigilance Court here issued a non-bailable arrest warrant after his conviction in the first module of the Graphite case was upheld by the High Court recently, surrendered before the Special Judge and Inquiry Commissioner, Mr. N. K. Balakrishnan, today. The former KSEB chairman, Mr. P. Kesava Pillai, who is the other accused in the case, also surrendered before the court.

Both the accused, who were sentenced by the Vigilance Court to one-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 10,000 each for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act in the first module of the case, were committed to the Central Prison, Poojappura.

The charge against the accused was that they sold 1.22 crore units of power illegally to the Karnataka-based Graphite Industries Limited during the period from October 1984 to August 1985, thus helping the company to make an illegal profit of Rs. 19.59 lakhs.

In its order on March 2, the High Court had directed Mr. Balakrishna Pillai and Mr. Kesava Pillai to surrender before the Special Court and undergo the sentence that had been imposed on them.

According to legal counsels, the Supreme Court is likely to consider on March 19 the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the accused against the conviction.

Mr. Balakrishna Pillai, who arrived at the Vigilance Court at around 10 a.m, put up a brave front as he smiled and waved at party workers and mediapersons who besieged him. Mr. Kesava Pillai arrived accompanied by his lawyers at around 10.30 a.m.

The Court's session began at 11 a.m. and the execution of the non-bailable warrants against the accused in the Graphite case was the first to be considered. Mr. Balakrishna Pillai and Mr. Kesava Pillai took their place in the witness box of the court as the proceedings started. Both looked very perturbed.

Mr. Pillai's legal counsel told the court that the 67- year-old former Minister was ailing from pulmonary hyper-tension. He also produced a medical certificate testifying to Mr. Pillai's condition. The counsel also sought a direction from the Special Judge to expedite the issue of the surrender certificate of the convicted persons for production before the Supreme Court when it considers their SLP on March 19.

According to legal sources, the apex court would normally admit the SLP only after the convicted persons produced the certificate proving that they had surrendered and undergone imprisonment at least for one day.

The Vigilance Court after considering the arguments issued necessary directions to the Central Prison Authorities to give proper medical attention, if warranted, to the convicts. At around 11.45 a.m, both the accused were sent to the Central Prison in a police vehicle.

Mr. Pillai's supporters shouted slogans accusing the LDF Government of snaring their leader in a ``political conspiracy''. The Congress leader, Mr. B. Vijayakumar, MLA, and Mr. Pillai's son and cine star, Mr. Ganesh, were present at the court.

At the Central Prison, both the accused were given a medical check-up by the prison doctor. According to prison officials, the convicts were later admitted to the 12-bed Prison Hospital after they were found to have high blood pressure. At the prison, Mr. Pillai is being accorded `Class-A' treatment since he is a sitting MLA.

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