Cashew import scam: Vigilance begins inquiry into alleged leak of government order
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has informed the Kerala High Court that a special investigation unit is verifying the alleged leak of a government
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has informed the Kerala High Court that a special investigation unit is verifying the alleged leak of a government order granting the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sanction to prosecute two former officials of the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation. Justice A. Badharudeen gave the VACB three weeks to report on the progress of the inquiry. The direction was issued while considering a petition by lawyer K.M. Shajahan, seeking a Vigilance inquiry into the incident in which, allegedly, an order to prosecute K.A. Ratheesh Chandrasekharan, former managing director and chairperson, respectively, of the KSCDC, was made public.
The petition also alleged collusion between the sanctioning authority and the accused persons. VACB Deputy Superintendent of Police S.S. Baiju informed the court that the unit was verifying the alleged leak and action, if any, would be taken based on the findings of the initial inquiry. Ratheesh and Mr. Chandrasekharan were accused of dishonestly awarding tenders to a private supplier to purchase cashews at inflated rates, forgoing store purchase rules, in the alleged misappropriation in the import of raw cashew by KSCDC between the years 2006 and 2015.
The petition also requested the removal of Mr. Ratheesh from the positions he held as the Secretary, Kerala Khadi and Village Industries Board, Managing Director, (RUTRONIX) (Kerala State Rural Women’s Electronics Industrial Co-operative Federation Ltd. and
Chief Executive Officer of Kerala Khadi Workers’ Welfare Fund Board. Following the allegations raised in the petition, Mr. Ratheesh resigned from all posts on August 3. The court will consider the matter again on September 2.
The BriefWire