Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has spent a total of Rs 96,34,261 from public funds on legal fees and expenses for lawyers defending against a CBI investigation into the murder case of Shuhaib, a Youth Congress worker in Mattannur.
The legal expenses include Rs 86.40 lakh for fees and Rs 6,64,961 for travel, hotel, and food. The government hired senior lawyers from outside the state to defend against the CBI inquiry, despite having an Advocate General in the High Court and a Standing Counsel for the State Government in the Supreme Court.
In a similar case, the government spent Rs 1,14,83,132 on lawyers defending CPM accused in the murder case of Youth Congress workers Kripesh and Sarath Lal in Kasaragod Periya. This includes Rs 88 lakh for fees and Rs 2,33,132 for travel, accommodation, and food. Maninder Singh received Rs 24.50 lakhs for appearing for the government in the Periya case in the Supreme Court.
In response to a question in the Assembly, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan confirmed that the government spent a total of Rs 2,11,17,393 from public funds on behalf of CPM members accused in the Shuhaib and Periya cases. The response was posted on the assembly website yesterday after being raised in the last nine days.