The Hindu : Panel pulls up VACB Director

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 07, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Panel pulls up VACB Director

By Our Special Correspondent

KOCHI JULY 6. The Justice V.P. Mohankumar Commission of Inquiry, probing the liquor tragedies at Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts in 2000, today pulled up the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) Director, Hormis Tharakan, for not providing enough records as directed by the Commission.

It ordered the Director to be present before the Commission for another sitting on July 10 with all relevant records.

The Commission, which concluded today's sitting within a short time, was cut up as the Government official was not able to show enough records to justify the stance in exempting two former MLAs — Bhargavi Thankappan and Kadakampalli Surendran — from the Vigilance probe and to conclude that they were not guilty.

In an earlier sitting, there was a deposition from a Superintendent of Police that these MLAs were exempted as per the directive of the then Vigilance Director.

A former Superintendent of Police of the VACB, Nithin Agarwal, who had earlier conducted an inquiry into the `masapadi scandal' (monthly mamool payment to Excise officials by abkari contractors, including Manichan) had prepared a report recommending prosecution of certain suspected officers for offences under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The present SP of the Vigilance, when examined as a prosecution witness, had produced the report of the former SP. He had deposed that the names of the two MLAs had been excluded while registering the case on the basis of a letter sent by the former Vigilance Director, A.V. Subba Rao.

The former Director, while noting that there was nothing to suggest that the two MLAs had accepted gratification, had directed the SP to continue further inquiries in respect of the two former MLAs to establish offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The report of Nithin Agrawal had alleged undue involvement of several persons and such involvement, if true, came within the purview of the inquiry by the Commission, Justice Mohankumar had earlier pointed out.

The Commission had directed the Vigilance Director to make available the files pertaining to the inquiry, said to be going on, and apprise it of the stage at which the inquiry now stood.

This was to ascertain whether any action be taken in pursuance of the inquiry and the Nithin Agrawal's report.

In today's sitting, the Commission wanted to know from the Vigilance Director the present status of the inquiry and where matters stood.

The Director replied that the relevant files were with the SP and he was not aware of the latest position. He said that he had written two letters to the SP regarding the files, but had not been able to bring the same before the Commission today.

The Commission pointed out that the SP was a subordinate of the Director and that the latter should be in the know of things.

It said that it could not adhere to the view that the probe could be extended inordinately in the name of non-availability of evidence.

The Commission wanted the Vigilance Department to give correct information and expedite the probe bringing out all relevant evidence.

At one point of time, the Government counsel intervened to point out that there was shortage of time and that the Vigilance Director would be able to provide all records if given sufficient time.

The Commission asked the Director whether he would be able to do so. The latter replied in the affirmative.

Hence the Commission ordered for the next sitting on July 10.

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