THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A circular issued by Vigilance Director Loknath Behera has sparked off a fresh controversy with legal experts terming it an attempt to protect corrupt politicians.
The circular issued on Thursday by Behera follows a government directive to the Vigilance officers issued on March 29, setting guidelines for registration of cases based on petitions. According to sources, the fifth point in the circular directs the officers of Vigilance units to take permission from the director before considering the petitions against important personalities, including ‘All India Service officers, political executives, ex-political executives and senior class I officers’.
According to legal experts and RTI activists, the circular issued on the first anniversary of the LDF Government was atrocious and illegal. “It is a move to stop the anti-graft agency from probing allegations against public servants. It’s a violation of the mandatory directions given by the Supreme Court in the Lalithakumari case. If the complaints against top government officers and political leaders are monitored, then what is the purpose of the Vigilance system?
Every vigilance unit has a station house officer authorised to register an FIR based on a complaint. So seeking the permission of the director to register a case based on a petition is against the law. We will bring the issue to the attention of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. If he fails to make necessary changes, we will move legally”, said D B Binu, an RTI activist.
The terms political executive and ex-political executive attribute to ministers and ex-ministers, he said. This is nothing but a move to protect the corrupt forces, Binu said.
The circular also said only the director would have the prerogative of ordering the registration of a case and all major complaints should be sent to him through the respective ADGPs. The petitions received at various units should be sent immediately to the directorate with the recommendation of the unit head.
However, Behera told Express the circular was only about petitions and not about the registration of cases.
“Complaints are pouring in at the Vigilance units. So I have decided to filter the petitions and directed the units to send the petition against higher officers and political leaders to me rather than conducting quick verification (QV) involuntarily. The government order also followed the Vigilance manual which says every petition should be evaluated by the director,” Behera said.
The government had issued guidelines to the Vigilance units after former director Jacob Thomas was asked to go on leave. Thomas had given freedom to the Vigilance units to register FIRs based on complaints. He had permitted the unit officers, including the SPs and DySPs, to take action at the unit level on the petitions received directly by conducting quick verifications and surprise raids. In the government directive, Chief Secretary Nalini Netto had ordered the Vigilance units to take permission from the director for the registration of cases.
A circular issued by Vigilance Director Loknath Behera has sparked off a fresh controversy with legal experts terming it an attempt to protect corrupt politicians.
The government had issued guidelines to the Vigilance units after former director Jacob Thomas was asked to go on leave
Legal experts and RTI activists say the circular issued on the first anniversary of the LDF Government was atrocious and illegal