THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) published the list of officials under suspension and those facing probes in connection with vigilance cases as part of its creative vigilance initiatives. While 28 officials are currently under suspension, the list of those against whom vigilance cases are progressing is over 3,000, which includes 13 IAS officers, including retired hands, and one IPS officer. The list is published on the website vigilance.kerala.gov.in.
Vigilance director Jacob Thomas said that the new initiative was part of the creative vigilance strategy of the VACB against corruption. “Anyone who wants to know whether an official is involved in vigilance cases can easily check that from this list. We will be regularly updating the list,” Mr Thomas told this newspaper. Details like name, designation and brief of cases are given in the list.
Among the 28 officials under suspension, eight are from the commercial taxes department, followed by three each from police and revenue departments, two each from civil supplies, motor vehicles and agriculture departments. At present no civil service officer in the state is under suspension. T.O. Sooraj, who was placed under suspension last year was later reinstated. Sooraj, who is now serving as parliamentary affairs secretary, is among the 13 IAS officers against whom vigilance cases are progressing. Two cases are under investigation against him.
Additional chief secretaries K.M. Abraham, animal husbandry director Anil Xavier and culture secretary Rani George are among the serving officers against whom vigilance cases are under investigation. Former chief secretary Babu Jacob, V.M. Gopala Menon, Biswanath Singh, P. Venugopal, A.J. Rajan, G. Rajasekharan, Viswanath and P.M. Francis are others with IAS tag facing vigilance investigation.
While Ernakulam-range IG S. Sreejith is the lone IPS officer facing Vigilance probe now, a chargesheet is pending against his senior colleague ADGP Tomin Thachankary.
