Kochi: The Kerala High Court has dropped all further proceedings against IG Suresh Raj Purohit, former Director of the Kerala Police Academy that was initiated on the basis of a Thrissur vigilance court order to register a case against him in connection with his minor son driving his official vehicle. The court held that allowing a minor to drive a vehicle did not come under Section 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. “In order to prosecute under the PC Act, there must be a situation of a public servant having abused his official position, and thereby, either himself or somebody else made some gain. This gain must be either a pecuniary advantage or a valuable thing. There is no such factual situation in this case. If at all the Police Officer had in any manner misused his official vehicle without payment of the rent fixed by the Government, appropriate departmental action can be taken by the Government,” the court observed.
It was alleged that the Officer allowed his minor son to drive his official vehicle at the compound of the Police Academy, Thrissur. The court observed that the complaint was mechanically forwarded by the Vigilance court Judge to the VACB for necessary action. “A special court can act on a complaint, only if it contains definite material, either within the direct knowledge of the complainant, or by way of other materials and sources, revealing a definite offence under the PC Act. The incident was not something to be entertained by a Special Court functioning under the PC Act.” the court held. The court further held that a minor just driving a vehicle, would never come under Section 23 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000.
