The Muvattupuzha Vigilance Court on Wednesday acquitted two former Assistant Engineers of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) and a contractor in a case over alleged irregularities in the implementation of a drinking water project in West Kochi.
Pronouncing the judgement, Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge P. Madhavan found the accused, identified as C.L. Mary, former Assistant Executive Engineer, P.K. Stenslavos, former Assistant Engineer, and Viswanathan of Aluva, not guilty in the absence of satisfactory evidence and directed to set them at liberty after cancelling bail bonds.
As per the prosecution case, the respondents entered into a criminal conspiracy to misappropriate government funds and fabricated false records. Thereafter, the first two officials allegedly prepared a bill of ₹18.57 lakh in favour of the contractor and attempted to encash it by presenting it to the Executive Engineer’s office.
The case pertained to the alleged irregularities in the laying of water supply pipes under the DFID- UAPD project in Zone-2 of the water authority subdivision in Karuvelippady, West Kochi. Owing to the controversy, the Executive Engineer did not pass the bill and the work was stopped abruptly.
During the trail, the officials submitted that it was a false case initiated at the instance of a union leader, who had enmity with the first accused. According to them, the supply pipes had been brought to the site, physically verified and endorsed in M-book, an official document.
Meanwhile, the court also acquitted the first two accused in another case over alleged irregularities in implementing the project in Zone 4 of the same subdivision. The remaining two accused in the case had expired during the trail stage.
