THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government is sitting on a Crime Branch report indic-ting Vigilance SP R. Sukesan of lapses in the bar bribery probe against former finance minister K.M. Mani. It is learnt that a probe by the then Crime Branch SP P.N. Unnirajan had recommended action against Mr Sukesan in view of the lapses. Though a report in this regard was submitted to the LDF government in June, no action was taken and he still continues to head the Special Investigation Unit-I that deals with many sensitive cases.
According to sources, the Crime Branch found fault with Mr Sukesan for sharing the details of the probe with bar owner Biju Ramesh. It also found that Mr Biju Ramesh’s statements regarding the probe at a meeting of bar owners were on the basis of information provided by Mr Sukesan. The inquiry report also said that Mr Sukesan initially recommended prosecution of Mr Mani based on perception and not on facts. It may be recalled that former vigilance director N. Shanker Reddy had recommended a probe after it was found that a CD given by Mr Biju Ramesh as evidence in the bar bribery case contained conversations that raised suspicions over the credibility of Mr Sukesan, who was the investigation officer of the bar bribery case. Based on this, the previous UDF government had ordered a Crime Branch probe into the matter.
The CD was submitted by Mr Biju Ramesh while giving the statement before a magistrate court in connection with bar case. It contained a conversation of Mr Biju Ramesh at a meeting of Kerala Bar Hotels Association in which he states that Mr Sukesan had told him that he would file the chargesheet in the case against Mr Mani at any cost and could tighten the case against the government. Mr Biju also says that it was as per Mr Sukesan's advice that he told the media that more ministers were bribed.
