KOCHI: A Division Bench headed by the acting Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court recused itself from hearing a petition seeking CBI probe into the bar bribery case involving former Finance Minister K M Mani. BJP leader Noble Mathew filed the petition which alleged no proper investigation was being carried out by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) and top VACB officers were blaming each other.
The petition said K M Mani, the accused in the case, enjoyed immense influence over both political fronts in Kerala and also over the officers of VACB and police. “The credibility of the investigation is at stake. The public, including the petitioner, have no faith in the investigation. This warrants a CBI investigation,” the petition said.