Thursday, September 22, 2011: Complaining of “untold harassment” and
“mental agony” in the 1992 Palmolein case in which he is an accused, IAS
officer Jiji Thomson today approached the High Court, seeking to quash a
vigilance court order directing investigation into Chief Minister
Oommen Chandy’s role in it.
Chandy was Finance Minister in the K Karunakaran government in 1992
when the import deal was inked. Thomson, Director General of
Commonwealth Games and a former civil supplies Managing Director, is the
fifth accused in the case.
On August 8, Special Vigilance Judge P K Haneefa had directed inquiry
against Chandy after rejecting the investigators report in June that
there was no ground for any further probe. Thomson contended the
Thiruvananthapuram Special Court judge has no power to order further
investigation suo motu.
He expressed apprehensions that if the process is accepted,
investigation would be an “endless process”. Thomson said he remained in
the same post only due to prolonged pendency of the case, while all
other similarly placed officials have been promoted. He has not been
given a posting as Additional secretary or equivalent.
He said the court ought to have appreciated that the alleged offence
was committed 19 years ago and he has undergone “untold mental
harassment and agony due to the false case”. Former Central Vigilance
Commissioner P J Thomas had lost his position as he figured as an
accused in the long pending case in his capacity as then food secretary.
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