The Hindu : Kerala News : Graft charge: `file progress report on probe'

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Friday, Jun 10, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Graft charge: `file progress report on probe'

Staff Reporter

High Courtround-up

KOCHI: A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the State Government to file a report on the progress of the judicial inquiry into the allegation of financial irregularities in the purchase of spices and other commodities by the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation. The Bench, comprising Chief Justice Rajiv Gupta and Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan, ordered that the report be filed after three months when a petition seeking CBI probe came up before the court.

The Government also produced the report of a vigilance inquiry into the allegations of corruption against the former managing director of the Corporation S. Pulikesi. The inquiry found that the allegations were not true. The Government had earlier filed an affidavit explaining steps taken to tackle corruption in the corporation. The affidavit said that Mr. Pulikesi was now in the rank of Additional Director General of police (Addl. DGP). He had not been given the charge of Vigilance Department.

The affidavit had said that the terms of the judicial inquiry ordered by the Government into the allegations of financial irregularities included suggestion to streamline and revamp the procedure now being adopted for purchasing commodities.

The judicial commission would inquire into the allegations of financial irregularities that took place between March 16, 1995 and March 15, 2005.

The Government had also informed the court that the vigilance police had registered as many as 30 cases in connection with the financial irregularities and corruption in the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation.

Counting stayed

Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishan has directed the returning officer for the elections to the Palakkad Cooperative Arts and Science College not to count the polled ballot papers in the elections to be held to the cooperative.

The judge also directed the returning officer to retain the polled ballot papers. The direction was issued on a writ petition filed by P.Anil and other members of the society.

According to them, the administrative committee had excluded a large number of persons from the voters list arbitrarily. The election was scheduled for July 12. The case had been posted for further orders on June 15.

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