Passing orders on a petition filed by two contractors seeking payment of the outstanding bills, Justice Antony Dominic turned down the state government’s argument that Gandhi had visited the state on the invitation of the Kerala PCC and it (KPCC) should pay the bills of the petitioners.

The court ordered the government to settle within six months bills worth Rs 1.96 lakh for providing temporary lighting arrangements and a public address system at two venues in Thiruvananthapuram on Apr 18, 2006.

Justice Dominic said the state cannot ‘wriggle’ out of their liability to pay the bills submitted by the petitioners.

The Judge also expressed displeasure at the conduct of the Executive Engineer (Electrical Division), PWD, Thiruvananthapuram, pointing out that a ‘deliberate’ attempt had been made by the official to ‘mislead’ the court to think that the role of the officials was only supervising the work done by the petitioners at the behest of KPCC.