VS Achuthanandan alleges bid to bail out K M Mani

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition Leader V.S. Achuthanandan has urged the Vigilance court here to reject the further investigation into the bar bribery case against former finance minister K.M. Mani alleging that the Vigilance had made a deliberate attempt to bail out the accused.

The Vigilance counsel’s plea not to have any more arguments in the case was also challenged by Mr Achuthanandan’s counsel. In a protest complaint filed against the Vigilance’s further investigation report that termed the allegations baseless, Mr. Achuthanandan alleged that at the behest of the present Vigilance director N. Shanker Reddy, a total re-investigation was conducted flouting the Vigilance court’s directive to conduct a further probe.

He also maintained that one need not always carry a mobile phone and hence the contradictions cited by the Vigilance in the direct evidence with mobile call details records were not conclusive. Mr. Achuthanandan alleged that Mr. Reddy had recommended a probe against the investigation officer R. Sukesan  to make him “totally submissive and dance to his tunes.”

Additional-director of prosecution (Vigilance) G. Saseendran urged the
court that it  may go through the Vigilance report and decide on dropping the case and that no further arguments on the matters may be allowed. Countering this, Mr. Achuthanandan’s counsel  P. Ahammed asked why the Vigilance was afraid of argument.

Vigilance sources said that as per norms, further arguments on thematter could be conducted as per section 202 of CrPC. In that case sanction to proceed against Mr Mani would have to be obtained. The case would be considered again  on March 5.