The vigilance bureau, which had registered a case against Mr Mani last year, had told the court in July this year that there was not enough evidence to file a charge sheet against him.
Seeking a stay order on fresh investigations against Finance Minister KM Mani for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1 crore promising to renew bar licences last year, Kerala government today moved the High Court.
The petition has been posted for Monday for further hearing.
While hearing the petition the Advocate General argued that the investigation report showed no evidence of demanding bribe but only of a person entering a place with money.
To which the judge asked, "Why would anyone enter with money to meet someone?"
Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan has opposed the petition seeking grant of stay.
In a setback for the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala days before crucial civic elections, a court ordered more investigations into the scandal known widely as the bar bribery case.
"I welcome this verdict on further investigations. I should be proved innocent without any doubt," said Mr Mani, 82, the chief of the Kerala Congress(M), one of the Congress's seven allies in Kerala.
Opposition leader Achuthanandan said Mr Mani must resign. "He has no moral grounds to continue in power," said the 93-year-old Mr Achuthanandan, who had, along with 15 others, filed a petition against the state vigilance and anti-corruption bureau's request to close the case against Mr Mani.
Among those who petitioned against a closure of the case was hotelier Biju Ramesh, who has accused the finance minister of demanding a bribe of Rs 5 crore and eventually accepting Rs 1 crore from bar owners, promising to renew licences of bars that were meant to be shut down after a ban in the state.
Mr Ramesh has said that desperate bar owners had collected the one crore, though some of them later said the money was gathered to fight the ban on bars in court.
The vigilance bureau, which had registered a case against Mr Mani last year, had told the court in July this year that there was not enough evidence to file a charge sheet against him. It said after investigations that while bar owners had visited the minister's residence with the money, there was no evidence to prove that he had taken a bribe.