Kochi: 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.
PTI
