THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM veteran and Administrative Reforms Commission chairman VS Achuthanandan has approached the special Vigilance court seeking to consider his petition for further probe into the sensational Pattoor land scam. The court will consider the petition on March 13.
Last month, the HC had quashed the case registered by Vigilance against former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, former Chief Secretary E K Bharat Bhushan and three others, allegedly involved in the scam.The senior CPM leader also informed the court that the HC has only quashed the suo motu case registered by the Vigilance and his complaint pertaining to the case is still pending before the court. So he sought immediate action from the court to go on with the proceedings against Oommen Chandy and others.
The High Court quashed the FIR registered by Vigilance saying it was built on the basis of a wrong understanding of the provision contained in Section 16 of the Kerala Water Supply and Sewerage Act, 1986. The Vigilance registered the case saying the sewerage pipeline was shifted in violation of the Act. The court, however, had said the judgment won’t be an impediment for the Lok Ayukta to proceed in the case before it or against any person who may be found to have committed any offence related to any matter other than shifting of the sewerage line.
The FIR registered by Vigilance dealt with alleged irregularities in the construction of a building and shifting of a sewage pipeline at Pattoor. In addition to third accused Bharat Bhushan and fourth accused Oommen Chandy, the FIR had named Artech Realtors managing director T S Ashok as the fifth accused. Two former executive engineers of KWA were the first and second accused.