Another Kerala officer embarrasses govt

Trivandrum — After Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Jacob Thomas has put Kerala’s Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government in an embarrassing position.

While Thomson an accused in the palmolein graft case sought to put the 1991 UDF government led by late K Karunakaran in the dock by terming his cabinet decision to import palmolein without going for a global tender wrong Jacob rapped the present government alleging pressure on him in his probe into the bar bribery case.

Jacob who led the probe as additional director-general (vigilance) also indicated that he had gone on leave during the course of the investigation due to alleged interference from power centres. His promotion as director-general of police (fire force) before completing the investigation had triggered allegation that it was aimed at scuttling the investigation.

The 1985-batch IPS officer who also led the probe into the Pattor land scam in which Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and former chief secretary Bharath Bhooshan faced the charge of allegedly favouring a private builder and the disproportionate asset case filed against IAS office T O Sooraj had earlier expressed fear about an attack on him.

Jacob revealed the pressure in the bar bribery case involving Finance Minister K M Mani while talking to a local television channel. The IPS officer claimed that he had withstood the pressure and led the investigation in the right path. “I have always maintained impartiality in the discharge of my duties. I was guided by the society’s interest rather than that of any individual. I am proud that I have not watered down the probe. Time will prove this” he said.

The officer who was kept away from active policing for two decades by the successive governments led by the Communist Party of India — Marxist (CPM) and the Congress before being made ADGP (vigilance) last year said that he had been able to withstand pressure due to his strong mental conviction. The revelation coming three days after the state cabinet snubbed the chief secretary for his remarks in the 23-year-old palmolein case has created ripples in the ruling circles. Terming the allegation serious T N Pratapan MLA asked the senior IPS officer the source of pressure on him.

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