Vigilance director Vinson M Paul may decide to drop any further probe into the matter
K Babu
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In yet another relief to the UDF government in the bar bribery muddle, a Vigilance team conducted a quick verification into the allegation against Excise Minister K Babu and concluded that there was no prima facie evidence in the allegation. In view of this, Vigilance director Vinson M Paul may decide to drop any further probe into the matter.
Contradictions in the statements of Kerala Bar Hotel Owners’ Association working president Biju Ramesh against the minister, lack of evidence, denial of association leaders of the allegation that they bribed the minister and failure of Biju in furnishing sources for the Rs 50 lakh he allegedly gave to the minister were the factors that turned the quick-verification in Babu’s favour, said vigilance sources.
Vigilance Central-range SP K M Antony who conducted the quick verification submitted a report to the vigilance director stating that the allegation raised by Biju Ramesh could not be accepted at face value. Even as Biju alleged that the bribe was paid to reduce bar licence fees, no hike was made in the fee. In the statement given to the magistrate under CrPC 164, Biju did not mention about the Rs. 50 lakh allegedly paid by him to Babu, but only mentioned that Babu demanded Rs. 10 crore from the association leaders.
Meanwhile, Biju Ramesh told reporters that he would move court against the alleged attempt to torpedo the probe. Babu reserved his comments maintaining that he was yet to come across the vigilance report. The clean chit by the Vigilance to Babu comes close on the heels of the legal opinion that there was no scope to prosecute Finance Minister K M Mani in the bar bribery case. However, the decision not to register the case against Babu could trigger the displeasure of the Kerala Congress (M) camps for registering a case against Mani.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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