Kochi: A division bench of the Kerala High Court on Friday declared as null and void the observation made by a vigilance court against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and asked it to complete re-investigation into the palm oil import case in six weeks. The High Court bench asked for the removal of the observation made by Vigilance Judge P.K. Haneefa, who rejected the vigilance report that gave a clean chit to the Chief Minister and ordered a re-investigation. The high court had given a clean chit to Chandy in October.
The import of 15,000 tonnes of palm oil was undertaken in 1992. The case was registered in 1999 when the communists led by E.K. Nayanar were in power. The vigilance department had earlier submitted a report that there was nothing that could indict Chandy in the case. Former Chief Minister K. Karunakaran, then food minister T.H. Mustafa and bureaucrats P.J. Thomas and Jiji Thompson were charged with causing a loss of Rs.2.32 crore by importing oil from Malaysia at an enhanced price.
The High Court on Friday took up the case after Thompson approached it, stating that his career prospects have turned bleak because of the never-ending investigations. He asked the court to stop the re-investigation.
Another shot in the arm for Chandy came when the court did not allow Leader of Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan and former legislator K.J. Alphonse to implead in the case. The court said there was no reason for them to implead....
03:17 PM, Dec 02, 2011
New Delhi: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Tuesday gave up the vigilance portfolio, following the Vigilant court's order to probe his role in the 1992 palmolein oil import deal. A Kerala Vigilance court on Monday had ordered a probe to ascertain if he had any role in the 1992 palmolein oil import deal as the then Finance Minister in the K Karunakaran government. The long-pending corruption case had cost...
11:03 AM, Aug 09, 2011
New Delhi: The newly appointed Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar has said that he will pursue the Commonwealth Games scam report on the Delhi government and take action. In his first television interview after taking over as the CVC, Kumar said he will take note of dishonest bureaucrats and will make sure that honest officers can work honestly. When asked about the credibility of the selection process of the CVC,...
01:50 PM, Jul 19, 2011
New Delhi: Former Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar was on Thursday sworn in as the new Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) replacing PJ Thomas whose appointment was struck down by the Supreme Court in March. President Pratibha Patil administered the oath of office to 62-year-old Kumar, a 1972 batch IAS officer of Haryana cadre, at a brief function in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Cabinet Secretary Ajit...
11:59 AM, Jul 14, 2011
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to grant urgent hearing on the plea of former Central Vigilance Commissioner PJ Thomas that his appeal, pending with the President against his sacking, be decided first before his successor Pradeep Kumar assumes charge. "It is quite difficult to hear your petition at the eleventh hour," a division bench of justices Vikramjit Sen and Sindharth Mridul said referring to the oath...
11:48 AM, Jul 14, 2011
New Delhi: Former Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) PJ Thomas has appealed to President Pratibha Patil to wait for the outcome of his petition in the Delhi High Court before appointing the new CVC. Thomas has sent his petition to the President to pass an order asking the government not to appoint anybody as the CVC just a day ahead of swearing-in of Pradeep Kumar as the new CVC. Thomas' lawyer ...
12:15 PM, Jul 13, 2011
New Delhi: Former Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) PJ Thomas has appealed to President Pratibha Patil to wait for the outcome of his petition in the Delhi High Court before appointing the new CVC. Thomas has sent his petition to the President to pass an order asking the government not to appoint anybody as the CVC just a day ahead of swearing-in of Pradeep Kumar as the new CVC. Thomas' lawyer...
12:15 PM, Jul 13, 2011
Sources say the government has found the replacement for PJ Thomas. Pradeep Kumar, the current Defence Secretary, will be appointed the new CVC. ...
10:08 PM, Jul 02, 2011
New Delhi: Sources have told CNN-IBN that Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar will to be the new Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) as the government and the Opposition reached a consensus on him being the choice for replacing PJ Thomas on Saturday. Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar was unanimously chosen as the next CVC, four months after the Supreme Court had quashed the appointment of PJ Thomas to the post. Though no official...
11:25 AM, Jul 02, 2011
New Delhi: Four months after the Supreme Court quashed the controversial appointment of PJ Thomas, the CVC selection panel will meet on Saturday to select his replacement. The committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the Leader of Opposition will be meeting to pick a new Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC). Reports suggest four names as contenders for the post of the top anti-corruption watchdog. Former Secretary GK Pillai,...
10:32 AM, Jul 02, 2011
New Delhi: A day after the shocking revelation by a fellow judge that former Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan could be approached for fixing cases, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chief refused to step down, saying that he has not done anything wrong. Balakrishnan has hit back, accusing Justice Shamshuddin of being approachable. While the opposition demands an investigation, the Centre continues to distance itself from the controversy. ...
09:59 PM, Jun 17, 2011
New Delhi: A day after the shocking revelation by a fellow judge that former Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan could be approached for fixing cases, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chief refused to step down, saying that he has not done anything wrong. Balakrishnan has hit back, accusing Justice Shamshuddin of being approachable. While the opposition demands an investigation, the Centre continues to distance itself from the controversy....
09:59 PM, Jun 17, 2011
New Delhi: Sources have told CNN-IBN that the Centre has begun its search for a new Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC). A month after the removal of controversial P J Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC), the government on Wednesday set the ball rolling for appointing a new person as the head of the top anti-corruption watchdog by writing to all Ministries, Departments and PSUs to suggest names for it. The...
06:50 PM, Apr 06, 2011
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan has described as 'baseless' the statement of his Maharashtra counterpart Prithviraj Chavan that Kerala government had not informed the Centre that former Chief Vigilance Commissioner PJ Thomas was involved in a Vigilance case while he was being considered for the post. The state government, in its letter dated December 2, 2008, had clearly mentioned that he was facing a Vigilance enquiry in connection with...
11:23 AM, Mar 24, 2011
New Delhi: The UPA-II is facing its toughest hour as it comes under attack from the Opposition for various scams rocking the coalition government. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is perceived as personally honest, but unable to tackle a barrage of corruption allegations plaguing the government's coalition partners has been asked many times to step down. Here are the 10 reasons why his detractors want him to go: 1. Cash-for-votes...
03:22 PM, Mar 17, 2011
New Delhi: President Pratibha Patil on Monday night cancelled the appointment of P J Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner, 11 days after the Supreme Court quashed his selection by a high-power committee (HPC) headed by Prime Miniser Manmohan Singh. A Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said in a brief statement that "the President has signed the warrant of cancellation of appointment of P J Thomas as CVC today." The Supreme Court had...
10:52 PM, Mar 14, 2011
Thiruvananthapuram: In a decision fraught with political significance, the Vigilance Court in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday allowed a plea from prosecution to further investigate the palmolein import graft case. The prosecution in a petition filed earlier on March had sought court direction for further probe into the case contending that some more persons were likely to become accused in the case. The move was seen as an attempt to implicate Opposition...
12:03 PM, Mar 14, 2011
