SP Rahul Nair suspended in quarry graft case
The VACB Special Investigation Unit-I filed a first information report against Mr Rahul
Thiruvananthapuram: Malabar Special Police commandant Rahul R. Nair has been placed under suspension with the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau registering a case against him for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 17 lakh from quarry owners in Pathanamthitta.
A probe is also on into the leakage of Mr. Rahul's statement to the VACB that Transport Commissioner ADGP R. Sreelekha and IG Thiruvananthapuram-range Manoj Abraham had pressurised him to favour quarry owners.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala ordered the probe by ADGP (Crimes) S. Ananthakrishanan into the matter on the basis of a representation given by Mr. Abraham alleging a conspiracy.
The VACB Special Investigation Unit-I filed a first information report against Mr Rahul as the first accused and his accomplice Ajith Kumar as the second at the Inquiry Commissioner and Special Court (Vigilance) here on Monday.
The Prevention of Corruption Act’s section 7 for ‘public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act’ and section 8 for ‘taking gratification, in order, by corrupt or illegal means, to influence public servant’ that could attract up to five-year imprisonment each and section 13 (1) (d) for ‘criminal misconduct by a public servant’ that could attract up to seven years’ imprisonment are framed against the accused.
Thiruvananthapuram: A team led by Mr R. Sukesan SP will conduct the detailed investigation.
Mr Rahul, while serving as Pathanamthitta district police chief, allegedly demanded bribe from Pathnamthitta-based quarry owner Jayesh Thomas for allowing his closed quarry to function and received Rs 17 lakh through middle man Ajith Kumar early this year.
An initial probe by ADGP (Intelligence) A. Hemachandran and further preliminary inquiry by VACB found the allegations to be true.
Incidentally, DC had earlier reported that Mr Rahul, an IPS officer of 2008 batch, was the richest among the 29 IPS officers from Kerala as per the immovable property returns to the Ministry of Home Affairs. He had a family property worth Rs 7.45 crore in Kozhikode.