Cash-for-verdict case: No evidence against Saiby; CB files closure report

KOCHI: Advocate Saiby Jose Kidangoor, who had faced allegations of attempting to bribe High Court judges to secure favorable verdicts, has been cleared of all charges following a thorough investigation by the crime branch. The report of the investigation was submitted to the Muvattupuzha Vigilance Court, which led to the dropping of charges against the lawyer.

The closure of the proceedings by the crime branch came after a special investigation team (SIT) assigned to probe the case failed to uncover any evidence against the former president of the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association (KHCAA).

The report was filed by Kottayam crime branch SP K L Johnkutty, who confirmed that the investigation against Saiby had been concluded. He stated, “During the investigation, we could not find any evidence substantiating the allegations against Saiby. The report recommends dropping the investigation against the lawyer. The court will decide on further steps to be taken.”

Earlier this year, the High Court Vigilance wing had released a detailed report alleging that Saiby had collected money from clients, claiming it would be used to bribe judges. A preliminary probe conducted by Kochi City Police Commissioner K Sethuraman subsequently indicated that a case could be registered against the lawyer. An FIR was registered based on the preliminary probe report. The initial investigation was carried out by Alappuzha Crime Branch SP K S Sudarshan. After Sudarshan was transferred to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, K L Josekutty was entrusted with the case.

Additionally, a second case was registered against Saiby by the Cheranalloor police following a complaint from Basil, a resident of Kothamangalam. Basil alleged that Saiby had demanded Rs 10 lakh from him to withdraw a case filed by his wife against him.