Thiruvananthapuram: A special team was formed by the Kerala government on Thursday to investigate how the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report leaked prior to its tabling in the assembly. The directive from the Home department came based on a report submitted by the DGP.
Some contents of the CAG audit report had leaked before it was tabled in the assembly on February 12. The report, which came up before the house, pointed out that 25 INSAS rifles and over 12,000 cartridges had gone missing from the Special Armed Police battalion. Though this was later refuted by Crime Branch chief Tomin Thachankary, a plea submitted in Kerala High Court questioned the efficiency of the police to conduct the investigation and asked that the case be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). While all 25 missing rifles were accounted for, Crime Branch was unable to explain the case of the missing bullets. The investigation is still underway.
The CAG report also flayed Kerala Police chief Lokanath Behera saying he erred in buying bulletproof cars for use of VIPs in the state. The purchase of the vehicles, the report claimed, was illegal and in conflict with the Stores Purchase Manual.
The CAG also said that the DGP intentionally violated the guidelines, including the Central Vigilance Commission directive to choose favourable pricing in a transparent manner. The DGP had contested this by saying the police did not want to invite tenders for security reasons, however, the government was unwilling to validate the irregularity in the purchase process.
Kerala Chief Secretary Tom Jose had earlier expressed his concerns on the leak and said character assassination of DGP Behera that ensued was very unfortunate.
The Home Secretary Vishwas had earlier given a clean chit to the Kerala Police and its DGP Lokanath Behera after finding no merit in most of the findings made by the CAG. The additional chief secretary (ACS), citing a report submitted by the Crime Branch, said that the case of the missing bullets could be attributed to nothing more than a procedural lapse.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan too had downplayed Oppositions demand for a CBI probe into the recent findings of the CAG but added that his government was viewing the matter seriously. One police officer has been arrested and a department enquiry is pending against 11 others in connection with the bullet-missing case.
