Vigilance probe not effective in Rs 500 crore case
Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation
Kochi: Kerala High Court on Wednesday ordered a CBI probe into the irregularities and Rs 500-crore corruption in the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice P.R. Ramachandra Menon ordered the probe while considering a Public Interest Litigation filed by Mr Manoj Kadakambilly, a trade union activist.
“The report by the special committee itself is adequate to hold that a threadbare investigation is extremely essential to bring out the hidden facts and to book the culprits,” the division bench observed.
The court further said, “the nature of investigation has to be on a wider scale and collection of materials from parties/establishments/witnesses beyond the state even from abroad may be necessary, which task cannot be effectively satisfied by the Vigilance department of the state.”
The petitioner sought a CBI probe into the various deeds and instances of allegations on the part of the KSCDC managing director K. A. Retheesh and chairman R. Chandrasekharan.
The court also observed, “the state itself found that it is necessary to conduct a detailed investigation and ordered a Vigilance probe.”
The court considered four committee reports on the alleged corruption and malpractices in the cashew board before delivering the verdict.
The corruption spanning from 2008 to 2013 related to two tenders and 46 purchase agreements entered into by the corporation.
The court looked into major reports such as CAG report, state's inspection wing of the finance department and Public Sector Restructuring and Internal Audit Board (RIAB).
An expert committee, formed to look into the anomalies at Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation and Kerala State Cashew Workers Apex Industrial Co-operation Society Ltd, headed by principal secretary P. H. Kurian had found that reconstruction of the board and removal of the MD were needed for the revival of the corporation.
Chandrasekharan to resign
INTUC state president, who is the Chairman of Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation, has decided to resign from the position. In a hurriedly held press conference here on Wednesday night he said he will submit the resignation to the government on Friday.
The announcement was made in the wake of Kerala High Court ordering a CBI probe in to the allegations of corruption in KSCDC.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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