The Lokayukta has found Kerala Higher Education Minister KT Jaleel guilty in the nepotism case. The Lokayukta has also declared that Jaleel should not continue as the Minister and has asked the Chief Minister to take action.

The case dates back to 2018 when Jaleel appointed his close relative KT Adeeb as General Manager of the Kerala State Minorities Development Finance Corporation, under the Ministry of Minority Welfare in Kerala.

According to the allegations, a notification was issued allowing relaxation in qualification to favour Adeeb. The complaint was filed by VK Muhammed Shafi.

The Lokayukta bench headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Cyriac Joseph and former High Court judge Justice Harun-Ul-Rashid state that the Minister favoured his second cousin in personal interest and that he violated the oath of office to discharge duties as a Minister "without fear or favour, affection or ill-will”.

The move triggered huge protests inside and outside the Assembly even though Jaleel defended himself saying that the appointment was in order. Jaleel also got the support of the CPI(M), but later the same year in 2018, Adeeb quit the post and returned to his bank job.

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