Tharoor backs CVC, says due process of law should be followed

Due process of law should be followed before indicting Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas, former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor today said.

"I support due process, that is all," Tharoor told reporters outside Parliament House when asked whether Thomas should step down in the wake of his alleged involvement in the Palmolein import scam.

He said in a democracy nobody should be declared guilty without proper investigation.

"As far as I am concerned, nobody, including the media, should be prosecutor, judge, jury.... That is not democracy," Tharoor said.

The former union minister had yesterday also backed Thomas and asked the media to stop its "vilification campaign" over his appointment to the constitutional post.

"What is happening with Thomas over his appointment is a media trial without a jury, without justice and without defence. It is a question of one's integrity," he had said.

The government takes decisions to make appointment to such posts only after going through the records, Tharoor had said while pointing out that the IAS officers association in Kerala had openly supported him, "which is a very rare thing to happen."

The Supreme Court has raised questions about Thomas continuing as CVC in the wake of corruption cases against him. Thomas was also the Telecom Secretary during the time the controversial contracts for 2-G Spectrum allocation were given.