Tom JoseThiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government may initiate disciplinary action against additional chief secretary (labor) Tom Jose in the wake of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) raids on properties allegedly linked to him.
The action will be taken on the basis of the report to be submitted by VACB director Jacob Thomas, it is learnt.
Vigilance SP K. Rajendran too may face disciplinary action for the controversial vigilance inspection at the house of finance secretary K.M. Abraham.
The government is expected to take stringent action against both, and they could be placed under suspension, sources said.
The move comes in the wake of the registration of a disproportionate assets case against Tom Jose in a special court in Ernakulum.
Read also: Vigilance extends probe to Tom Jose's friend Anitha in DA case
Was not aware of raids at KM Abraham's flat, says Jacob Thomas
Earlier, the government had suspended former public works secretary T.O. Sooraj from service based on the VACB recommendations on the disproportionate assets case against him.
In the case filed against Tom Jose in the special court, the VACB submitted he owned wealth worth Rs 1.91 crore disproportionate to known source of income. The agency recommended that he be suspended from his post as he may influence the investigation into his assets if he continued in the post.
Jacob Thomas is expected to hand over the report to the additional chief secretary (home) in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the VACB has started examining the details of Tom Jose’s financial dealings and foreign trips during the recent years.
The agency claimed that it has obtained vital information regarding the accounts of Dr. Anitha Jose, an associate of Tom Jose, during the inspections at his apartments in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi. The accounts were traced to banks in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam and Ramapuram. Despite being joint non-resident accounts, the entire financial dealings were carried out by Tom Jose, the VACB submitted in the court.
The agency has also obtained vital evidence that he had tried to pull himself out of the joint accounts after his land deal in Maharashtra became controversial. The vigilance will approach the Income Tax Department to verify the accounts, and re-record his statements based on the latest inspection. Also, the banks will be instructed to freeze the accounts, the officials said.
Meanwhile, Vigilance special cell SP K. Rajendran, has been directed to immediately reply to the show-cause notice on the controversial inspection at the residence of K. M. Abraham.
The memo was served on him by vigilance ADGP Shaikh Darvesh Saheb on Friday as per the directions of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on a complaint filed by K.M. Abraham.
In his petition, he alleged that the vigilance conducting inspections when a preliminary probe was on was in violation of rules. Moreover, there was no female officer in the seven-member VACB squad when it came to collect information from his wife, as he was not present at the time.
He further alleged that the raid was conducted with the purpose of subduing him at a time when the finance department was ready to submit its report on the alleged financial irregularities against Jacob Thomas when he was in charge of Port department.
