VS slams official

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former chief minister V S Achuthanandan, named as first accused in a land scam case, deplored the role of Kerala Information Commissioner K Natarajan who has tried to intervene in the case. "I don't need the help of anyone to fight my case, which is nothing but a fabricated one by the present (Oommen) Chandy government. Natarajan's role that came out is to be seen as nothing but a conspiracy to target me as the case is coming up for hearing Oct 17," said VS while speaking to reporters here. Since Tuesday, television channels here have been telecasting a mobile phone conversation that reportedly took place in September, between Natarajan and Vigilance Deputy Superintendent of Police V G Kunjan.

In the conversation, the information commissioner is heard persuading Kunjan to see to it that VS is not included in the list of accused in the case.

"The decision to appoint Natarajan was taken by a committee which included the then leader of opposition Chandy and two others, including me. I never appointed him. Instead, it was the decision of the three-member committee," said VS, who went to the extent of demanding Natarajan's removal from the post of information commissioner. Chief Minister Chandy, when asked about the issues that have surfaced, said that if the allegation against Natarajan is true, then it's a serious one. In June last year, the Congress-led Chandy government ordered a probe after examining all files related to the land transfer to T K Soman, a relative of VS. The cabinet also decided to cancel the land allotment in Kasargode involving Soman, a former defence official. The alleged land transfer took place at the fag end of VS’ tenure as the chief minister in early 2011.