Cashew scam: HC permits Industries Secretary to file plea to dispense with his personal appearance

A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the Industries Department Principal Secretary (Cashew) A. P. M Mohammed Hanish to file an application seeking to dispense with his personal appearance before the Single Bench on Friday, in the ₹600 crore cashew import scam.

On Wednesday, he had filed an appeal challenging a Single Bench order that directed his personal appearance in a contempt of court case related to the scam on Friday.

The contempt petition had been filed by Kadakkampally Manoj of Kollam. In his plea, Mr. Manoj cited how an earlier HC order had to be complied with, before October 15. But the Principal Secretary issued a government order on October 28, denying sanction for a CBI probe into the scam, he alleged.

In April, the HC had quashed a State government order that had denied sanction for a CBI probe into the ₹600-crore cashew import scam. The court further summoned Mr Hanish to appear before it, in the contempt plea that had been initiated following the denial of sanction for the CBI probe into the alleged corruption in the import of raw cashew between 2006 and 2015 by Kerala Cashew Board.

The High Court had in October 2025 expressed its dissatisfaction at the State government for denying sanction for a CBI probe against R. Chandrasekharan, former chairman of the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation (KSCDC), and P.A. Ratheesh, former managing director of the corporation, in the corruption case.

The State government had denied permission thrice for a CBI probe in the case, and also contended that it was not contempt of court. The government had reportedly opted for a vigilance enquiry on satisfying that the ‘offences’ prima facie, warranted investigation. Later on, a Division Bench of the HC entrusted the probe to the CBI, taking into consideration the seriousness of the allegation and finding, prima facie, materials necessary for investigation by an independent agency.