Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Higher Education minister K T Jaleel on Tuesday resigned from the Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet days after the state Lokayukta held that he had 'abused' his position as a public servant to obtain a favour for a relative (nepotism). 

 Jaleel sent his resignation to the Chief Minister and it has been forwarded to the Governor. The resignation has been accepted by Governor Arif Mohammad Khan. In a Facebook Post, Jaleel himself confirmed that he had put in his papers. "I am happy to say that those who had been baying for my blood can be relieved for now. Since the past two years, I have been facing a media onslaught," Jaleel, second minister in the LDF ministry to resign on nepotism charges, said in the post.

The development is a setback to the Vijayan government, which has hardly a couple of weeks left for its term to get over. Industries EP Jayarajan had resigned in October 2016, five months after the LDF ministry assumed office following a row over the appointment of his nephew and son of former Kannur MP PK Sreemathy as Managing Director of Kerala Industries Enterprises Ltd. Two years later, Jayarajan was taken back in the Ministry. Jaleel's resignation comes a day after he moved the High Court seeking a stay on the Lokayukta order. The CPI(M) leadership is understood to have asked the minister to resign.

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