THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The covert and not-so-covert attempts to delay the preliminary investigation report by the Vigilance Department into the allegations of bribery against State Finance Minister and Kerala Congress (M) president, K. M. Mani, have suffered a severe setback with the Kerala High Court directing the department to submit the report within a week.
It may be mentioned that the Vigilance Department had sought a 45-day time to submit the report, raising speculation about a sabotage bid. But the HC has accepted the argument made by petitioner CPI MLA V S Sunil Kumar that any preliminary report – so goes a Supreme Court ruling -into cases involving corruption and bribery should be completed in a week’s time. The HC ruling effectively frustrates the concerted effort to undermine the probe against Mani.
Following the court’s directive, the Vigilance Department has no option but to complete the report within the stipulated one week and submit the same.
Significantly, the ruling has come as a shot in the arm for the working president of the Kerala Bar Owners’ Association (BOA), Biju Ramesh, who had dropped the bombshell against Mani, alleging that the FM had demanded a bribe of Rs five crore and settled for Rs one crore eventually for ensuring a decision favouring the bar owners association in court case against the Government’s policy which seeks to introduce total prohibition in the state in the next ten years.
Biju had alleged in interviews with various TV channels that the Vigilance Department was deliberately delaying the report and refusing to record evidence – an obvious attempt to undermine the probe. In fact, sensing foul play, Biju has said further evidence would be handed over only to the five-member committee set up by the BOA to collect evidence and proof of the bribery allegations against Mani and other ministers, including those belonging to the Congress.
The HC ruling has emboldened Ramesh to stick to his guns and make fresh allegations against Mani. Biju Ramesh has disclosed, in a talk to a Malayalam TV Channel that it was at the instance of Chief minister Oommen Chandy that he had met Mani. The amount of Rs one crore had been handed over to Mani in three instalments, Biju contended, and claimed to have submitted preliminary proof to the Vigilance Department.
Needless to say, Biju Ramesh’s refusal to yield to pressure being exerted by ruling front leaders, and brave attempts at intimidation, have put both the Congress and KC(M) on the defensive. Biju has even gone to the extent of saying that there is a threat to his life and a concerted effort to destroy his business; but he said would not relent even in the face of such heavy odds.
It is also significant to note that, even in the face of Biju’s allegations, the KC(M) has not so far made any attempt to launch legal proceedings against him. Although the talk of sending a legal notice to Biju has been in the air for some time, no move is on, at least until now, to file a defamation case against the highly influential bar owner. The KC(M)’s reluctance has only helped to reinforce public perception that there has been wrong-doing at the top level.
Biju’s latest disclosure is that KC(M) vice-chairman and government chief whip, P. C. George had called him up to tell him to go ahead with his campaign against his boss, Mani! Of course, George has denied the telephonic talk, but Biju claims he has recorded the telephonic conversation he had had with George!
The Opposition, Left Democratic Front (LDF) is overjoyed at the HC ruling. The HC ruling has come not a day too soon as the CPI has unilaterally decided to take out a march to the State secretariat demanding Mani’s resignation and a judicial probe into the sordid episode.
It is a measure of the new low that the UDF politics has touched that the bar owners association officials are holding the government hostage with a slew of allegations. That the UDF leaders, especially KC(M) and Congress leaders are struggling to effectively defend the allegations speaks volumes about the dichotomy between the UDF leaders’ professions of transparency and good governance and their actual performance. (IPA Service)
