Who is hounding Kerala's vigilance chief Jacob Thomas?
Concerted effort to hound Jacob Thomas out of Vigilance established. Several IAS officers unhappy over move to hijack Officers Association. A delegation met CM seeking ‘protection from harassment.’ Express digs out the inside story
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: These hot questions have been doing rounds in the state for the last few days. The answer to them opens a Pandora’s box.
Nearly 20 IAS/IPS officers, half-a-dozen retired bureaucrats and political leaders, including former ministers K M Mani and K Babu, are facing Vigilance probe. They have reasons to be seriously worried.
The tales of the ‘IAS lobby’ conspiring against Jacob Thomas have sparked widespread unrest among the bureaucracy. Majority of the officers resent the attempt to hijack the IAS Officers Association to protect the interests of a handful of officers who are facing the Vigilance music. Many told Express that they were not averse to any probe by the Vigilance or any other agency.
Officers under the banner of the association had met CM Pinarayi Vijayan seeking ‘protection from harassment’ by the Vigilance Director. The CM accepted the invitation for a dinner hosted by the association and attended it along with his wife. But in his characteristic style did not give any assurance of ‘protection’. The CM, however, conveyed the feelings of the officers to Jacob Thomas, who promptly expressed his wish to move out.
Investigation is on against some senior officers who are a worried lot, given Jacob Thomas’ reputation of going by the book. The High Court of Kerala had come down heavily on the government in the Malabar Cements case and has ordered that the “inquiry should be personally supervised and monitored by the Director of the VACB and he may also give his remarks and comments on the inquiry if he so desires. It has left many with beads of sweat.
Pau
l Antony, Additional Chief Secretary, Industries, will have to explain his special relationship with K Padmakumar, former MD, Malabar Cements, and attempts to protect him in various fora even after his arrest. In the controversial appointment of P K Sudhir, the file sent for Vigilance clearance was called back by the Industries Department and Paul Antony wrote ‘Issue Orders’ pending Vigilance clearance. Sources indicated that as the probe progresses he may end up as the first accused even if E P Jayarajan’s interest is proven.
Probe against Tom Joseph in the KMML case is in an advanced stage and he has been named as an accused in the FIR. Sheik Pareeth is facing vigilance probe in half a dozen cases for various irregularities in his capacity as chief engineer, Harbour Engineering Department and as Ernakulam District Collector.
Tomin Thachankary, who was facing probe into amassing wealth and unauthorised trips abroad has one more case slapped against him while he was the Transport Commissioner for insisting on using a particular company’s software in vehicle pollution testing centres.
Among the politicians, probe against Mani and Babu are proceeding at a fast pace. Sources told Express that the flurry of activity, offensives and leaked reports were the handiwork of some of the affected parties in a last ditch effort to save their skin.