HC directs probe into litigant’s credentials

Kochi: The high court has directed the state govt to conduct an inquiry to ascertain the credentials of Navas Paichira from Thiruvananthapuram, who filed a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the appointment of former finance minister T M Thomas Isaac as an advisor for the ‘Vijnana Keralam' (Knowledge Kerala) project.Considering the PIL on Monday, the bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice S Manu orally observed that they wanted to verify the educational and employment details of the petitioner. In his additional affidavit, Navas stated that he is a driver and also an RTI activist. However, the bench expressed doubts about whether he fully understood the contents and intricacies of the petition. The court adjourned the PIL to Feb 12.In his petition, Navas alleged that while Isaac had agreed to render his services free of charge, his appointment order included provisions for Rs 70,000 per month in fuel expenses for his official vehicle, along with wages and daily allowances for his driver. tnn