New Delhi:
The government in Sikkim faces serious accusations of corruption, and the Supreme Court has now intervened. Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling, the Centre and the CBI have all been asked to respond to allegations that Mr Chamling and his ministers have misused government funds.
The Supreme Court's actions today are based on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The petitioners, two residents of Sikkim, say a CBI report confirms that the state government is guilty of corruption and that the Chief Minister and several others in his Cabinet have assets that cannot be accounted for.
Mr Chamling, who heads the Sikkim Democratic Front or SDF, has been the Chief Minister of Sikkim since 1994. In December, the CBI asked his government for permission to prosecute him and was reportedly turned down.