Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday decided to hear in detail an alleged sleaze phone chat case involving NCP former state Minister A.K.Saseendran, in a setback to the party's attempt to get him back into the Kerala cabinet. In March this year, Saseendran resigned as Transport Minister over an audio clip in which he is heard having a lewd phone conversation with a woman journalist of Mangalam TV channel.

This was later termed a "honey trap". However, earlier this month the woman approached the High Court seeking permission to withdraw the case. The High Court was on Tuesday hearing the woman's petition seeking permission to withdraw her case that she filed in a lower court in the state capital. She had informed the High Court that the case has been settled out of court and it arose because of misunderstanding.

However, the High Court took a different position. It asked the state government to give the terms of reference of the judicial probe it had ordered into the case. The High Court has posted the case for December 12. Last week, the state government accepted the judicial commission probe report which exonerated Saseendran and came down heavily on Mangalam TV channel for airing the sleaze audio.

The High Court on Tuesday also saw three different petitioners who came before the court to implead in the case, with the request that it should not be allowed to be withdrawn. After hearing all concerned, the High Court directed the state government to present the terms of the reference of the judicial probe that was conducted and posted the case for December 12.

The NCP had approached the CPI-M and the ruling Left Democratic Front with a request that since Thomas Chandy, the other NCP MLA, had to resign early this month due to alleged land grab charges, they were keen to get Saseendran back into the cabinet. But the CPI-M and the LDF asked them to wait till the court gives a clean chit, saying the judicial probe alone won't suffice for his return.

If the three petitioners are allowed to press their case, then it is likely to drag and would hit Saseendran's chances of returning. The other NCP MLA Thomas Chandy has approached the Supreme Court to see if the observations made by the Kerala High Court into his alleged land grab case can be stayed. If the top court agrees then he might beat Saseendran to the ministerial post. (IANS)