The Muvattupuzha Vigilance Court on Thursday directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to register cases against the Superintendent of Police, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Ernakulam; District Collector, and two Public Works Department (PWD) officials over the alleged lapse in payment of around Rs.9 lakh by the CBI as rent to the PWD rest house in Ernakulam.
P. Madhavan, Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge, directed the Superintendent of VACB special cell in Ernakulam to register a case against the officers for criminal misconduct and breach of trust under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The agency was also directed to identify the officers concerned and find out whether they had availed free accommodation and claimed TA and DA.
CBI officials had allegedlu occupied rooms at the rest house from September 16, 1999 to October 18, 2007 without paying rent or producing any valid order exempting them from payment of rent.
In this connection, an amount of Rs.9,49,500 is due from the CBI to the PWD.
According to the court, the CBI Superintendent ought to have realised the amount from the officers who had used the rooms, while the District Collector and the two PWD officials had committed criminal misconduct by not collecting the money due to the government. Maintaining that there was no Government Order facilitating free accommodation to CBI officials at PWD rest houses, the court said no action had been taken on the issue.
