Thrissur (Kerala) | INTUC state president R Chandrasekaran on Saturday welcomed the UDF government's decision to grant sanction to prosecute him in a corruption case related to cashew imports, being probed by the CBI.

The case pertains to alleged irregularities in the import of raw cashew nuts before and during Chandrasekaran's tenure as chairman of the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation (KSCDC).

The Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) is the trade union associated with the Congress party.

The state government recently granted prosecution sanction after a petition was filed before the Kerala High Court.

Although the CBI had sought prosecution sanction from the previous LDF government on multiple occasions, approval was not granted.

Speaking to reporters, Chandrasekaran said granting prosecution sanction should not be equated with a finding of guilt.

"If prosecution sanction is granted, the matter can proceed, and my issues will be resolved through due process. Granting prosecution sanction is not the same as a conviction," he said.

Asked why the sanction was granted when his own party is part of the ruling front, Chandrasekaran said it was an executive decision of the government.

"If the government chooses to exercise that authority and grant the sanction, I welcome the decision. I have been happy with it for the past few days," he said.

"The court alone must decide whether corruption took place, whether anyone is guilty, and what consequences, if any, should follow. Neither you nor I can decide that," he said.

Chandrasekaran said he was appointed chairman of the KSCDC when Oommen Chandy was the CM and P K Kunhalikutty was the Industries Minister. He said the direction given to him was to maximise employment for cashew workers.

Responding to the CBI's allegation that cashew procurement violated the State Store Purchase Manual, Chandrasekaran said the Corporation had been exempted from the manual since 1994 because Kerala's domestic production of raw cashew nuts was insufficient to meet the requirements of the state's processing factories, making imports essential.

He said procurement decisions often had to be taken quickly in the international market to ensure the availability of raw materials and continuous employment for workers.

"If raw cashew nuts are not purchased at the appropriate time in producing countries, they will not be available later. The Corporation follows tender procedures and procurement processes. During my tenure, I never approved purchases through a single-tender process," he said.

Questioning the complainant's motives, Chandrasekaran said the reasons for the prolonged litigation should also be examined.

"Why has he been filing cases against a single institution for the last 17 years? Secondly, how has he managed to pursue litigation from Kerala all the way to Delhi and even up to the Supreme Court for such a long period?" he asked.