Bar case to come under tight legal scrutiny
There were many instances of courts scrapping closure reports and ordering a further probe
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has decided to file a closure report in the bar bribery case against finance minister K. M. Mani, it may take time for Mani to get a clean chit from the court as the Opposition leader V. S. Achuthanandan has already announced that he will challenge the Vigilance’s decision in the court.
Mr Achuthanandan, on whose petition the VACB initiated the probe, said here on Sunday that he would reiterate his demand for a CBI probe into the allegation.
Alleging political influence on the VACB, Achuthanandan also said that the Vigilance director had made a suspicious move by seeking legal opinion from former additional
solicitor-general Nageswara Rao who earlier appeared for bar owners.
Sources said the vigilance would be filing a closure report and it is likely to be submitted during this week itself.
Apart from Achuthanandan, bar owner Biju Ramesh would also be opposing the VACB’s contention. Hence, a detailed scrutiny of the vigilance’s closure report by the court will happen.
There were many instances of courts scrapping closure reports and ordering a further probe. The observation of investigation officer R. S. Sukesan that there was scope for registering a case would be one key point to be raised by Achuthanandan and others planning to challenge the closure report,sources pointed out.
Mr Achutanandan even listed many lapses in the probe. He alleged that the vigilance did not make any effort to get crucial evidence in the case and no search was conducted at Mani’s residence.
Vigilance sources, however, expressed confidence that the court would accept the closure report as there was no evidence of demand or acceptance of bribe or any favours extended by Mani.