Thiruvananthapuram: Controversy is brewing over a Padma Shri award conferred on NRI businessman Sundar Menon, who is from Kerala. The Kerala High Court has said that the award would be confirmed subject to disposal of a writ petition before it.
CK Padmanabha, a resident of Kozhikode, had challenged the award to the NRI businessman claiming that he has criminal and cheating cases against him.
The petition stated that there is a criminal case pending against him in Thrissur East Police Station for cheating his former business partner CK Menon to the tune of crores. The case is still in the process of investigation.
The petitioner also alleged that there are complaints against him in UAE for violation of labour contracts and there is also a customs case against him. It also said that Sundar Menon's name was recommended by the Governor of Goa and not Kerala, and that there was no effective investigation conducted in Kerala.
The petitioner in a reply affidavit also said that the order produced by the Central government states that he was recommended by four persons namely MoS Home Kiren Rijiju , Goa Governor Mridula Sinha, Law Minister DV Sadananda Gowda and Sri Bharatheeya Janatha Party Secretary PK Krishna Das. None of these persons are from Goa.
It is not clear that how can a person with no activities in Goa can be recommended by the Governor of Goa. Moreover, on what basis and parameters they can make recommendations is not clear from the affidavit of the Central government.
Meanwhile, the counsel for Sundar Menon - S Sreekumar said that these allegations are baseless. He also said that the criminal case against him was registered in Thrissur after the list of names came out and that the allegations have been levelled only to make sure that he does not get the award.
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