Supreme Court Upholds Kerala HC Ruling on 'Dying in Harness' Case

The Supreme Court upheld the Kerala High Court's 2021 ruling that invalidated a government job given to R Prasanth, son of late MLA K K Ramachandran Nair. The decision was criticized for violating constitutional articles ensuring equality and potentially setting a dangerous precedent for government job allocations.

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the Kerala High Court's 2021 ruling that invalidated the state cabinet's decision to appoint R Prasanth, son of late CPI(M) MLA K K Ramachandran Nair, to a government job.

This decision is a setback for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's government, as the bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar denied the government's plea for a stay on the high court's judgment.

While the court denied the stay, it ruled that Prasanth would not have to return the salary and benefits he received as an assistant engineer in the PWD since his appointment in 2018, prior to the high court's annulment.

(With inputs from agencies.)