Thiruvananthapuram: The Special Vigilance Court here on Tuesday faulted the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau for delaying the probes into the petitions against ministers.
The inquiry commissioner and special court (Vigilance), which was considering a petition against fisheries and cashew minister J. Mercykutty Amma, also directed the VACB to complete the quick verification against the minister before February 17.
Following the adverse remarks from the court, Vigilance director Jacob Thomas convened a meeting of senior officers of VACB and directed that all investigations should be completed in a time-bound manner. All SPs and investigating officers in the ranks of DySPs and circle inspectors in the VACB units attended the meeting.
It may be recalled that in many probes, including one against former minister E.P. Jayarajan, the VACB sought several extensions to complete the probes. Citing the VACB delay in ordering a quick verification into the petitions against Mercykutty Amma, the court asked why the VACB was setting wrong precedents by sitting on petitions against ministers and prominent persons until the petitioners approach the court.
The court also cited the nepotism charge against Mr Jayarajan and a set of allegations against ADGP (Intelligence) R. Sreelekha as instances.
The petition against Ms Mercykutty Amma was submitted to the VACB on November 9. But the decision to initiate a quick verification was taken after the petitioner approached the court. Similarly, in the case of the petitions against Mr Jayarajan and Ms Sreelekha also, the VACB acted only after the petitioner moved the court.
The VACB had recently ordered three quick verifications into different petitions pertaining to corruption in the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation and Kerala State Cashew Workers Apex Industrial Cooperative Society involving Ms Mercykutty Amma, her husband and former chairman of Capex P. Thulaseedhara Kurup and KSCDC managing director T.F. Xavier.
