The Kerala High Court, on Thursday, November 10, issued a notice to Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Parliamentary Party Secretary DR Anil. The notice was sent with regards to a plea filed by an ex-councillor seeking a judicial probe or CBI probe into the letter allegedly sent by Arya seeking a list of Communist Party of India (Marxist) party members for vacant posts in the corporation.
The petitioner GS Sreekumar alleged that it was an act of nepotism and that several appointments were made in a similar manner and so an investigation is necessary, LiveLaw reported. After admitting the petition, Justice K Babu issued a notice to Arya and Anil and said that the matter will be taken up for hearing on November 25.
On November 5, a letter containing both the official letter head of the Thiruvananthapuram mayor and her signature, addressing CPI(M) district secretary Anavoor Nagappan as “comrade”, was published by the Malayala Manorama daily. The letter dated November 1 had a list of 295 vacancies in the corporation’s health department and asked for a "priority list" of CPI(M) cadres to be appointed in the temporary vacant posts in the corporation.
However, Arya denied writing the letter and Nagappan said that he did not receive such a letter. However, it has kicked up a political controversy in the state with the opposition demanding her immediate resignation. Meanwhile, Arya met with the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and sought an inquiry into the issue.