Vigilance not to prosecute KM Mani

Thiruvananthapuram: It is curtains for the bargate as far as the Vigilance is concerned and a time to smile for Finance Minister K.M. Mani.  Vigilance director Vinson M. Paul on Saturday  directed  investigating officer SP R. Sukesan to submit a closure report on the bar bribery case in the court.

The Vigilance chief told the investigation officer that there was no need to file a chargesheet in the case after considering the investigation report and the legal advice.

Though the Vigilance director had earlier sought  legal opinion  from the attorney-general and the solicitor-general, they did not respond.  The director also sought the legal
opinion of some Supreme Court advocates.

Earlier, Vigilance legal advisor C.C. Augustine had opined that there was no evidence to prove that Mr Mani had demanded or taken bribe from the bar owners as proved by the fact that he  had not taken any decisions favouring them. He also pointed out that no bar owners other than Biju Ramesh had given a statement about giving bribe to Mr Mani.

On the basis of the legal advice, Vigilance ADGP Shaik Darvesh Saheb had rejected the report of the investigating team and said that there was  no evidence  against Mr Mani.

Mr Mani had been under  Opposition attack after  Biju Ramesh’s allegations.    Mr Sukesan had submitted a report pointing out that there was circumstantial evidence against Mr Mani,  including the statements of Biju Ramesh and the lie detector test of his driver Ambili.