VACB under fire for sitting on petitions

January 03, 2017 08:54 pm | Updated 08:54 pm IST - Thiruvananthapuram:

A special court here on Tuesday slammed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) for sitting on complaints against Ministers and top bureaucrats.

Inquiry Commissioner and Special Judge A. Baharudeen observed caustically in open court that in at least three recent complaints the VACB had opened preliminary inquiries only after the petitioners moved the Bench for relief.

The judge was considering a plea to prosecute Fisheries and Cashew Industries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma on the suspicion of corruption in the import of raw material for State-run cashewnut factories this year.

P. Rahim, the complainant, had petitioned VACB Director Jacob Thomas to open an anti-corruption inquiry against the Minister in November. Dissatisfied with the agency’s response, he moved the court in December. The court gave the agency two chances to respond to Mr. Rahim’s plea. On Monday, the eve of the third posting, the VACB submitted that a precursory inquiry was on.

The court said that almost the same pattern was seen in the complaints against former Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan and R. Sreelekha, Additional Director General of Police, Intelligence. The court had to intervene to initiate inquiries.

Top Vigilance investigators headed by Mr. Thomas went into a huddle in the wake of the court’s observations.

One of them told The Hindu that the director had warned the government in writing in November that such a situation could occur given the “unprecedented flow” of petitions and dearth of investigators to process them. The resources of the agency was stretched thin. Its staff strength remained the same as in 1992.

They said the investigation against former Minister K. M. Mani had lost momentum after the investigating officer went on leaving citing “ill-health”. The government was yet to replace him. The probe against former Minister K. Babu on the suspicion of illegal amassment of wealth was in a limbo. The Director has no option now but to prioritise his tasks in the face of fast approaching court deadlines, they said.

Chennithala’s charge

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said that the observations of the Vigilance court vindicated the view that the Vigilance Director was a caged parrot. He was dancing to the tunes of the State government, Mr. Chennithala said referring to the observations of the court.

For months, the Vigilance Director sat on a complaint against the Minister by Congress legislator V.D. Satheeshan, Mr. Chennithala said.

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