Anil Antony Refutes Bribery Allegations In Kerala HC Counsel Appointment, Labels It 'Dirty Politics'
P. J. Kurian, on the other hand, supported Nandakumar's allegations, stating that Nandakumar had approached him to get back the bribe money given to Anil Antony because he appointed the counsel in the Kerala High Court.
Anil Antony, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha Constituency, strictly denied the allegations made against him, proclaiming that he did not accept Rs 25 lakh for appointing standing counsel for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Kerala High Court.
TG Nandakumar, famously known as "Dalal (broker) Nandakumar, had made the same allegations against Anil Antony for involvement in such malpractice in the past as well.
According to Anil Antony, it is just a ploy from the opposition because they are afraid of his victory. He labeled the accusation "dirty 'politics'. "The opposition is engaging in dirty politics out of fear of my victory. These baseless allegations are the result of a conspiracy involving a criminal case. Nandakumar, who was jailed for the theft of an idol from a family temple, is now falsely implicating me. As a Stanford graduate, I refuse to stoop to their level of conspiracy," Anil Anthony told the media.
Anil Anthony, when talking about the issue further, shed light on his connection with veteran Congress figure P. J. Kurian. “Congress veteran P. J. Kurian introduced me to Nandakumar, but I severed ties when he began seeking favors, even demanding transfers of judges. Kurian's betrayal is evident; he deceived K. Karunakaran, AK Antony, and Oomman Chandy. Nandakumar has settled cases for Kurian. Now, they're orchestrating this drama, but their attempts have failed," he added.
P. J. Kurian, on the other hand, supported Nandakumar's allegations, stating that Nandakumar had approached him to get back the bribe money given to Anil Antony because he appointed the counsel in the Kerala High Court.
"I asked Anil to return the money in installments, which he did. Nandakumar had connections in Delhi, but I cannot confirm any involvement in the CBI appointment. However, I am confident that Antony cannot be influenced. Our firm believes he had no role in that deal," Kurian stated.
Nandakumar talked about the link Anil Antony had with CBI director Ranjith Sinha in 2013 and said that Anil received Rs. 25 lakh for hiring a lawyer.
