Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) The Supreme Court Thursday reduced former Kerala power official Ramabhadran Nair’s jail sentence to that already undergone during the trial in a corruption case related to the Idamalayar dam project.

An apex court bench of Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice B.S. Chauhan maintained the conviction of Nair, a former chairman of the Kerala State Electricity Board who was earlier found guilty by a special court.

But the apex court bench said given the fact and circumstances of the case, Nair’s sentence is reduced to that already undergone. The court said that “this would not be treated as a precedent”.

Nair, who was convicted along with former Kerala power minister Balakrishnan Pillai, is now past 80 years of age and lies in a partially unconscious state in his home.

The case dates back to 1985 when reports came out that the Idamalayar tunnel had developed cracks. In 1988, a judicial report suggested that there were lapses in the project and the Left government ordered a police Crime Branch probe.

In 1999, a special court charged Pillai and others and sentenced them to a five-year jail term.

Pillai and the others appealed to the Kerala High Court, which in 2004 exonerated them. Following this, Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan petitioned the apex court in his personal capacity and fought the case.

A police official visited Nair to execute the arrest warrant last month. But Nair’s wife had moved the court saying he was old and suffering from alzheimer’s disease, so he should not be sent to jail.