The Azhimathi Virudha Janakeeya Munnani, an anti-corruption forum of residents, has urged Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court to take immediate steps to fill the post of Inquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigilance) here.
The post has been lying vacant for over five months after Special Judge V. Jayaram was transferred as Additional District Judge, Thalassery, on May 13, 2014.
PendencyHundreds of cases were pending before the Vigilance court, K.P. Vijayakumar, general convener of the Munnani, said.
One of these cases was against Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan, former Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran, and seven others, including bureaucrats, in connection with the alleged irregularities in assigning land to a relative of Mr. Achuthanandan.
Another was against Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash and four others in connection with a case of alleged irregularities in awarding licence to a wholesale depot at Omassery in the district during his tenure as the Food and Civil Supplies Minister from 2004 to 2006.
Mr. Vijayakumar said that 14 cases pertained to the alleged corruption in the implementation of various schemes in the Kozhikode Corporation during the regime of the Left Democratic Front since 2005.
Proceedings in cases registered in the court had come to a standstill in the absence of judge.
The Vigilance Judge, Thrissur, had been given additional charge of the Kozhikode Court. But one had to go to Thrissur to obtain a copy of any document, he added.
The Kozhikode Vigilance court dealt with cases from Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, and Wayanad districts. The administrative control, including the appointment of the Special Judge, vested with the State government. However, the High Court has to make recommendations to the government.
As many as 226 cases were pending before the court. Trial in three cases had been completed while trial in another three cases started. Incidentally cases charge-sheeted as early as in 2005 had not been taken up at all.
