Thiruvananthapuram: While the actions of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) is triggering serious resentments, senior bureaucrat and Malabar Cements former managing director K. Padmakumar, who is said to be one of the victims of VACB's wrong deeds, is struggling to recover from mental and physical trauma.
The big toe of his left leg has been amputated as his diabetes aggravated, and he had a narrow escape from a cardiac arrest as 80 to 100 percent blocks were found in three of his heart vessels and had undergone angioplasty procedure.
The nexus of a controversial businessman with the who's who of the political leadership is forcing government not to act on a law department report that the VACB action against Mr Padmakumar was illegal.
Meanwhile, the close down of Malabar Cements owing to raw material shortage after his arrest is reported to have helped a Tamil Nadu-based cement firm capture the Palakkad market. Incidentally, a former Malabar Cement official is heading a key position in that company.
During his over two decade tenure in Public Sector Restructuring and Internal Audit Board (RIAB), Mr Padmakumar had recommended actions against irregularities in many state PSUs. But he now faces four vigilance cases raising many an eyebrow.
In an unprecedented move, the VACB even arrested him and was even in jail and vigilance custody for five days.
“To the best of my knowledge, he was an officer above board. He was thorough with subjects he handled and extremely competent,” recollects former chief secretary Jiji Thomson.
Sources close to him said all the four charges against him were baseless. The facts were suspected to be suppressed before the court. Moreover, not all officials who were part of the alleged deeds were arraigned in the cases.
While one of the allegations related to payment of incentives, it was as per a 2010 board decision. The alleged lapse in the purchase of flash from controversial businessman V. M. Radhakrishnan's firm took place during the time of former managing director M. Sundaramoorthy. Mr Padmakumar cancelled the deal leading to a profit of Rs 9 crore. Use of clinker in Walayar was done with board's approval and the quantity of cement stocked at Warehousing Corporation was only less that one percent of the stock.
