Ramesh Chennithala justifies Vigilance

Thiruvananthapuram: Home minister Ramesh Chennithala has said that there was nothing unusual for investigating agencies to seek legal advice before filing a final report in a vigilance case.

The state government was unable to conduct a discussion on the merit of the vigilance report as the matter was sub judice.

He was replying to the notice for an adjournment motion by Suresh Kurup of the CPM in the Assembly on Thursday seeking re-investigation into the bar bribe case. Mr Chennithala said the Vigilance had conducted a fair and impartial probe into the case.

The agency had filed its final report after a detailed investigation spanning seven months by collecting evidence from various persons either directly or indirectly.

Now, it was for the court to decide on the matter, Mr Chennithala said. The investigation was conducted in a scientific manner using techniques like polygraph. Vigilance had not made any attempt to help finance minister K. M. Mani, he said.

As Speaker N. Sakthan refused to allow the motion, Opposition members rushed to the well of the House. Some opposition members sat on the floor, while the others stood with a banner demanding Mani's resignation leading to the adjournment of the session.

The Opposition had claimed that the vigilance report which gave a clean chit to Mani was a "farce".

Opposition leader V. S. Achuthanandan, who was instrumental in submitting the complaint that led to the registration of the case, reiterated that the Opposition would continue its agitation inside and outside the Assembly to expose the corruption of the UDF government.