'Govt appointed me... I am continuing'

Thomas remained defiant in the face of mounting opposition pressure demanding his resignation and maintained he would continue at the top post.

The Opposition demand for his resignation gained momentum after the Supreme Court made scathing remarks on CVC. SC had also questioned his appointment for his alleged involvement in the palmolein export case in Kerala. The investigators had named Thomas in the chargesheet but so far no charges had been framed against him.

“I have been appointed by the government as the central vigilance commissioner and I am continuing,” Thomas told reporters on this morning outside his office.

However, when Thomas was asked about the observations made by the apex court, he declined to comment. “The matter is subjudice. It is better for me not to comment on the issue. It would be unfair for me to comment on the proceedings of the court,” he said.

Meanwhile, sources in the office of the CVC claimed Thomas would continue for now and reports of his resignation were only rumours. Senior officials maintained he was not asked by the government to quit.

“He is going to continue as the CVC. There are only rumours that he would quit from the top post but these are all baseless,” said a senior official.