Thiruvananthapuram: Senior Kerala police officer of the director general of police rank, Jacob Thomas, has once again criticised the state government, railing its decision to order an inquiry into alleged conspiracy by a vigilance superintendent of police, R. Sukesan.
The government ordered an inquiry into the alleged conspiracy that Sukesan had with the liquor bar hotel owners’ association, based on an audio recording of the conversation between bar hotel owners at their association meeting. The conversation, the government claims, shows connivance between Sukesan and the bar owners.
It was based on the same audio taped conversation that the liquor bar bribery case had mothballed into a political crisis in the state, and former finance minister K.M. Mani had to quit.
“Illogical steps and inquiries will adversely affect the morale of the police force,” commented Thomas, adding there was a two-tier justice presently in force in the state.
The audio tape was given to the vigilance court by liquor bar owner, Biju Ramesh as proof of his claim that the bar hotel owners’ association had bribed K.M. Mani and others. But the vigilance court had not considered that as proof of Mani being bribed.
However, the government has now sought to move against Sukesan, based on another part of the conversation in the same audio recording.
The government is arguing that the conversation in the recording is proof that Sukesan had connived with liquor bar owners to implicate ministers and top leaders in the bar bribery case.
