A court in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday ordered a preliminary Vigilance probe against former Kerala Chief Minister and top Congress leader Oommen Chandy, six Ministers in the 2011-16 UDF Government and three former UDF MlAs in connection with the allegations of nepotistic appointments in Government institutions, boards and corporations during the front’s rule.
The Special Vigilance Court has asked the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to submit its preliminary probe report by February 6 based on which it will decide whether a full investigation on the basis of a properly registered case should be launched into the allegations of nepotistic appointments during the UDF’s 2011-16 rule.
As per the order of Special Vigilance Judge A Badaruddin, the VACB will look into 14 allegedly nepotistic appointments carried out during the UDF’s reign. Apart from Chandy, former Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, currently Opposition leader, and former Finance minister KM Mani (who is not with the UDF now) also will face preliminary probe over nepotism charges.
The court’s order came on a petition filed by Kerala Congress (Scaria Thomas) leader AH Hafeez in the middle of the controversy pertaining to the nepotistic appointments made by CPI(M) Central committee member EP Jayarajan when he was the Industries Minister in the party-led lDF Government that had assumed office last May.
Jayarajan had resigned from the Cabinet on October 14 following the controversy and the issue had become a sharp weapon in the hands of the Congress and UDF to attack the ruling left front. It was in this context that Hafeez had approached the court seeking orders for inquiry into the alleged nepotistic appointments during the tenure of the previous UDF Government.
The charge against Jayarajan was that he had misused his official position as then Industries minister to appoint Sudheer Nambiar, son of his sister-in-law PK Sreemathi MP, another CPI(M) central committee member, as managing director of a corporation that came under the Industries Department in violation of the guidelines.
The Vigilance, which is currently holding an investigation against Jayarajan over this, will submit its report to the Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance court by January 7. In this context, the court’s order for a probe into similar allegations against Chandy, Chennithala and other UDF leaders is considered to be a serious setback to the Opposition.
The VACB investigation into the charges of nepotistic appointment during the previous government’s tenure will cover areas like who all had appointed relatives in government institutions illegally, what criteria had been violated in such appointments, etc. The Special Vigilance Court had heard the final arguments in the case on Wednesday.
Among the alleged nepotistic appointments during the UDF rule was that of Kunju Illampally, a close relative of Chandy, as chairman of a board under the Government. However, Chandy said that the allegation was unfounded as Illampally was considered for the post not because he was his relative but as he was an INTUC leader who had been on several government panels earlier.
“I welcome the probe. It will help in revealing the truth,” said Ramesh Chennithala. “I had not appointed any of my relatives in any department when we were in power. There is no substance in the allegation. However, I am welcoming the court’s order and the probe. let the people know the truth,” he said in Thrissur.