Vigilance head okays V.S. Achuthanandan probe

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The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau director, Mr. Venugopal K. Nair, on Thursday ordered his officials to register a case against the Opposition leader, Mr. V.S. Achuthanandan, and seven others in connection with the allotment of land to his relative in Kasargod.

The case will be registered at the VACB Kasargod unit and first information report will be submitted before the Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigilance), Kozhikode on Friday.

Charges against the accused include Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act for abusing official authority as well as various sections of the Indian Penal Code for cheating, tampering with evidence and conspiracy.

Mr. Achuthanandan will be arraigned as the first accused. The preliminary probe was conducted by a Vigilance team, led by Northern-range SP, Mr. Habeeb Rahman.

The Vigilance case puts Mr Achuthanandan in a tight spot and pressure is likely to mount on him from within and outside the party to step down as the Opposition Leader. Mr Achuthanandnan, who had taken a principled position in the SNC Lavalin case, demanding that the party secretary, Mr Pinarayi Vijayan, step down from the party post will find the going tough.

The CPI (M) is yet to comment. Mr Vijayan remained silent when reporters sought his comment at a public function. Mr Achuthanandan defended the decision, saying it was done with the full knowledge of the Cabinet.

“Such antics by a ministry, comprising six tainted Ministers, will not wash. Some of them like, Mr P K Kunhalikutty, derives pleasure out of foisting false charges on me”, quipped Mr Achuthanandan.

However, the Chief Minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, said Mr Achuthanandan only needed to answer whether the beneficiary was his relative and whether officials had acted behind his back.

Now, the question before the party is whether to back Mr Achuthanandan as it had done in the case of Mr Vijayan at the height of the anti-Lavalin campaign.

The central leadership had justified Mr Vijayan, saying he needn’t quit because he did not hold any elective public office. Mr Achuthanandan can afford to remain in office only if Mr Vijayan and the Central leadership lend him a long rope.