THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major relief to former Finance Minister KM Mani, the Vigilance gave him a clean chit in the bar bribery case. Sources said this is the third time Vigilance sleuths have submitted a report in the court favouring Mani. The anti-corruption agency submitted an affidavit in the Special Vigilance Court. Vigilance SP K E Baiju of the Special Investigation Unit-I of Thiruvananthapuram submitted the report which said the agency could not find any incriminating evidence against Mani who allegedly took `1 crore as bribe from bar hotel owners to reopen bars closed at the time.
“No scientific evidence that Mani accepted the bribe was found in the investigation,” the Vigilance argued in the court. The Kerala High Court had, in January, asked Vigilance sleuths to submit a report on further probe in the case. The directive was given by Justice B Sudheendra Kumar while considering a petition by Mani, who challenged the order of the Vigilance Court in Thiruvananthapuram which had allowed a plea for further investigation in the case.
The Vigilance Court had ordered further probe in the case in 2016 after Vigilance SP R Sukesan filed a petition alleging former Vigilance Director N Shanker Reddy had intervened in the investigation to give Mani a clean chit.
The allegation
The Kerala State Bar Hotel Owners Association had levelled the allegation against Mani, saying they paid Rs 1 crore as bribe to him for a favourable decision to reopen closed bars in 2013-14. Following the HC observations against him, Mani had to quit as minister in November, 2015.
‘There is conspiracy to trap me’
Kottayam: If he was happy over the Vigilance clean chit given to him in the bar bribery case on Monday, KC(M) chairman K M Mani did not show it. “I am not at all excited regarding the findings in the report,” Mani told reporters when asked for his reaction on the development. He alleged a conspiracy was afoot to trap him in the bar bribery case.
“I will not like to disclose the identities of the persons involved in the conspiracy as the case is sub-judice,” he said. On KC(M)’s chances of joining any political front in the state, Mani said the time had arrived for taking a decision. “However, reports and rumours in this regard are baseless. A decision will be taken during the elections,” he said. However, he said he wished Congress would be strengthened at the national level.