The Supreme Court, on Monday, September 25, extended its interim bail given to M Sivasankar, former Principal Secretary to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, for two more months. Sivasankar was arrested for allegedly misappropriating funds meant for providing housing for the poor.
A bench comprising Justices AS Boppana and MM Sundresh extended the relief till December 2, taking note of the submission made by senior advocate Jayanth Muthuraj who pleaded that Sivasankar has to undergo another spinal surgery which is due in the second week of October.
During the hearing, the Enforcement Directorate opposed the grant of extension saying that Sivasankar's application is based on certifications issued by private hospitals. However, the apex court observed that Sivasankar, who is suffering from spinal cancer, should be allowed to avail further medical treatment.
In August, the Supreme Court court had granted interim bail to the retired bureaucrat for a period of two months for availing medical treatment. The probe agency had objected to this claiming that Sivasankar’s release would impact the investigation and medical treatment should be made available to him in custody. In its order, the court had directed that during his bail period Sivasankar will not visit any other place except for his home and the hospital where he will be availing treatment.
Sivasankar, who retired from service on January 31 earlier this year, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a bribery case related to the LIFE (Livelihood, Inclusion and Financial Empowerment) Mission. The LIFE Mission is a housing security scheme of the Kerala government that aims to provide houses to all the landless and homeless residents of the state. It is alleged that several persons, among whom are government officials including Sivasankar, misappropriated the funds received from UAE Red Crescent, meant for flood victims in Kerala through the LIFE Mission project.