This Kerala cashew case is honestly getting more uncomfortable now,because when Principal Secretary himself has to appear before High Court and apologise unconditionally,that is not small thing ah .
On June 22,2026,A.P.M. Mohammad Hanish,the Principal Secretary of Industries,presented himself before Kerala High Court and gave unconditional apology . This happened in connection with contempt of court petition over alleged irregularities linked to import of raw cashew by Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation .
And matter is not about some small paperwork issue also . Allegations are about misappropriation amounting to ₹600 crore between years 2006 and 2015 . That number itself makes whole issue feel very serious,because public money and state-run corporation are both involved here.
The contempt petition was filed by Kadakampally Manoj,a resident of Kollam . His move came after State Government declined permission for Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI ) inquiry into matter on three separate occasions . Three times refusal for probe naturally raises more questions in public mind.
Few points standing out clearly in this case:
- Contempt of court petition filed after state's refusal for CBI probe.
- Allegations of ₹600 crore misappropriation linked to raw cashew imports from 2006 to 2015.
- Next hearing scheduled for July 2.
And tbh,High Court's earlier warning to Hanish also shows how serious bench was taking this . Court had cautioned that if he failed to appear personally,'coercive steps' could be taken to ensure his attendance . That is strong language,not routine office note.
Now another angle has come in through K. Biju,the current Secretary overseeing Cashew Development Department . He has requested additional time to review previous denial for CBI investigation . So government side still seems to be thinking how to handle this issue,rather than giving one clear final stand.
But this whole thing goes beyond one officer or one apology . When allegations involve ₹600 crore and period from 2006 to 2015,people will obviously ask how oversight worked inside Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation during all those years .
At same time,court case is still open and next hearing on July 2 may bring more clarity . Or maybe more uncomfortable questions only…
