Shankar Reddy IPSThiruvananthapuram: A senior IPS officer in Kerala, who is facing a vigilance probe, has alleged an ‘unholy nexus’ between the ‘higher ups’ and the complainant against him. State Crime Records Bureau DGP N Shankar Reddy had on Friday shot off a letter to vigilance director Jacob Thomas alleging due to the “nexus”, an “absolutely false and misleading” report against him has been filed in the court by a vigilance administrative assistant. “There is reason to believe that there is an unholy nexus between Paichira Nawaz (the complainant) and certain higher ups in the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) engaging in illegal/criminal activities against me,” he claimed.
The officer alleged that such ‘illegal and criminal activities’ have proven successful in getting a ‘false’ report filed against him before the Vigilance Court, resulting in a preliminary inquiry against him.
Reddy, who had earlier headed the VACB, also alleged that Nawaz had a criminal background but now turned an anti-corruption crusader.
The Kerala High Court had on October 24 permitted the VACB to proceed with its preliminary inquiry against him on the complaint that during his stint as VACB chief he had tried to derail the probe in the bar bribery case.
The DGP claimed that he “apprehends possibility of yet another similar vested interests” acting against him to “mislead” the vigilance court “once again”.
Reddy said Nawaz had also lodged a complaint alleging that he had suppressed complaints against a former chief minister and others relating to depositions made by some persons before the inquiry commission on Solar cases.
He said that because of the “unholy nexus” he feels it is possible that a “deliberate design” to use RTI replies with regard to depositions in solar case are being used to harass him.
“Certain statements attributed to me in the petition are absolutely false and mischievous,” Reddy claimed.
The letter comes close on the heels of additional chief secretary (finance) complaining to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan that Thomas had acted “vengefully” against him by ordering a vigilance inspection of his house in a case.
On Friday, simultaneous raids were conducted in the residential apartment and office of additional chief secretary (labour), Tom Jose in a disproportionate assets case. Amid complaints against the VACB chief, Vijayan has expressed confidence in Thomas and had stated that “certain forces were working to oust the director from the post.”
(With agency inputs)
