Plea in Kerala HC seeks quashing of Padma Bhushan conferred on Vellappally Natesan

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Kerala High Court seeking to quash the conferment of the Padma Bhushan on Vellappally Natesan.

The plea filed by Sree Narayana Dharma Prabodhana Samrakshana Samithi contends that Natesan has been arrayed as an accused in several criminal cases involving offences such as cheating and misappropriation of funds. The petition also states that he is an accused in multiple vigilance cases.

One of the cases highlighted in the plea relates to the alleged Micro Finance Scam, in which it is claimed that the SNDP Yogam misappropriated funds received from the Kerala State Backward Classes Development Corporation between 2003 and 2014.

"The allegation is that SNDP Yogam received such funds during the years 2003 to 2014 and the funds were misappropriated by personnel of SNDP Yogam. They created false and forged utilisation certificates and submitted them before the Corporation. The scam in Kerala is infamously known as the 'Micro Finance Scam'," the plea states.

The development comes after a single bench of the High Court had, earlier on Thursday, held that Natesan was disqualified from holding the office of General Secretary of the SNDP Yogam after finding that he and other office-bearers had violated provisions of the Companies Act by failing to file audited accounts of the organisation for three consecutive years.

The plea also places on record excerpts from an interview given by Natesan to a newspaper in which he allegedly made derogatory remarks about the Padma awards. According to the petitioner, a representation was submitted before the office of the President of India after the announcement of the award, highlighting the pending criminal cases against Natesan. However, no action has been taken on the representation so far.

The petitioner argues that conferring the Padma Bhushan on a person facing such allegations would erode public confidence in the integrity of the award. It further contends that the conferment of the honour is arbitrary and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution of India.

The trust has therefore sought a declaration that the conferment of the award on Natesan is arbitrary and illegal, and has prayed for an order quashing the award.

(With LiveLaw inputs)