Kerala - Kochi   

Proceedings against Vakkom quashed

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday quashed the proceedings initiated by the Vigilance Special Court in Thiruvananthapuram against former Finance Minister Vakkom Purushothaman, his two sons and a son-in-law in a case relating to amassing wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income.

Justice V. Ramkumar passed the verdict while allowing a petition filed by Biju Purushothaman, son of the former Minister, against the Vigilance court order.

The Vigilance court’s order came on a complaint filed by Marakkar Haji in Malappuram district. His allegation was that Mr. Purushothaman, who was Finance Minister from November 15, 2004 to August 28, 2005 in the previous United Democratic Front government, had raised funds from money earned by corrupt and illegal means and abusing his official position.

The petitioner pointed out that the Vigilance court had earlier dismissed the complaint on the basis of a preliminary inquiry report of the Vigilance Department that there was no material to prove the allegation. However, the High Court had ordered fresh consideration of the complaint and the report. The petitioner alleged that the Vigilance court had not considered the report and ordered a fresh inquiry.

The court observed that as long as there was no bar on looking into the report, a further investigation by the very same Vigilance Department was uncalled for, particularly after an inquiry conducted by the special judge himself. When the complainant himself was unable to substantiate his allegations, the court need not wear “the mantle of an investigator or a prosecutor,” the court added.

Acting on another petition, the judge directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a report regarding the investigation conducted in a case relating to the death of Sister Abhaya.

The court gave the direction while considering a petition filed by Thomas, father of Abhaya.

The body of Abhaya, a 21-year-old inmate of the Pious X convent hostel, Kottayam, was found in a well of the convent on March 1992. The CBI took over the investigation following a High Court directive.

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