The Kerala High Court on Monday upheld a vigilance court's order to conduct further investigations into a bribery case against state finance minister KM Mani. On November 6, the government had appealed in the high court seeking to quash the vigilance court order. The high court in turn slammed the Congress government for spending taxpayers’ money to defend a minister who is facing corruption charges, reported The Indian Express.

Several Congress leaders have publicly demanded Mani's resignation, stating that the alleged bribery case was a major factor in the hiding it received in the civic polls. In October 2014, the Kerala Hotels and Bar Association had alleged that Mani had asked for a bribe of Rs 5 crore in return for renewing the licenses of bars. A liquor policy promulgated in 2014 had decreed only five-star hotels to serve foreign liquor in Kerala. This had led to the shutdown of 700 bars in the state in August 2014.