Cashew import scam: Kerala High Court directs Secretary to submit prosecution sanction order with signature
The Kerala High Court has ordered the Cashew department Secretary to submit a signed prosecution sanction order regarding a ₹600-crore import scam. The court is currently reviewing an apology from the official regarding previous remarks made against the judiciary in the case.
Why it matters
This case underscores the legal complexities and bureaucratic delays involved in prosecuting high-level corruption in state-run corporations.
While expressing satisfaction at the legality of the long-overdue sanction that the Kerala government accorded to prosecute the accused in the ₹600-crore cashew import scam, the Kerala High Court on Friday (July 17, 2026) directed Cashew department Secretary K. Biju to submit the sanction order with his signature within two days.
During the hearing, a Bench of Justice A. Badharudeen questioned the absence of Mr. Biju’s signature on the copy of the sanction order forwarded to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the probe agency. The CBI had said that the absence of signature could cause impediments (to the probe). The court impleaded the CBI in the contempt-of-court proceedings initiated over the alleged delay in granting sanction for the prosecution of Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation (KSCDC) former chairperson and Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) State president R. Chandrasekharan and its former managing director K.A. Ratheesh.
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