Kochi, July 11: The Kerala High Court today directed vigilance department to complete its inquiry against state Tourism and Fisheries Minister K V Thomas in the disproportionate assets case and file the final report of the entire inquiry before the inquiry commissioner and special judge (vigilance), Thrissur, on or before Sept. 15. The direction was issued by a division bench comprising Chief Justice J L Gupta and Justice A K Basheer on a PIL filed by one Biju C Valluvanadan against the continuance of Thomas in the cabinet.
The petitioner was aggrieved over the alleged 'inaction' of Chief Minister A K Antony in advising the governor to suspend Thomas from the cabinet. The petitioner also alleged that the state government was 'deliberately' delaying the investigation against Thomas.
In order to ascertain the progress of the vigilance inquiry conducted until now against Thomas, the bench had on July 4 directed the state and the vigilance department to produce by July 8 all the original records relating the inquiry conducted against Thomas. Advocate general M Ratna Singh, who was not present in the court on Jul 8, was absent today also as he was on his way here from Delhi.
Valluvanadan, in his complaint before special judge, Thrissur, had stated that Thomas, who was born in an ordinary agriculturist's family, had allegedly amassed wealth to the tune of Rs 25 crore in a short span of his public life.
Thomas had already filed a counter affidavit denying all the allegations against him and alleged that the case had been filed for achieving 'political gains' by a member of the rival faction in the state Congress. Bureau Report