Approval for the appointment of former Chief Justice of Kerala High Court as the head of the State Human Rights Commission
Thiruvananthapuram (IANS). Recently retired Chief Justice of Kerala High Court S. Manikumar on Monday as the new Human Rights Commission chief of the state.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan and Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly A.N. Shamseer was involved.
Manikumar’s name was cleared at the committee’s meeting here, though Satheesan had verbally objected to his name.
Their dissent will now also be given in writing, but this will not come in the way of Manikumar’s name being cleared as both Vijayan and Shamseer have voted in his favour.
Manikumar’s name will now be sent to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan.
Satheesan’s opposition to Manikumar was not surprising as veteran Congress MLA Ramesh Chennithala, soon after retiring, alleged that Manikumar was pressing several of his cases against Vijayan.
Chennithala had then said, “Some of the cases I had filed during my tenure as Leader of the Opposition remained untouched as he did nothing and said he was going to become the next head of the Kerala State Human Rights Commission. “
What took everyone by surprise was the fact that Vijayan had given a farewell to Manikumar along with some of his cabinet colleagues a few days before his retirement.
