HC allows vigilance probe against IPS officer

The Kerala High Court today permitted the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to proceed with its preliminary inquiry against State Crime Records Bureau DGP N Shankar Reddy on a complaint that during his stint as chief of VACB he had tried to derail the probe in the bar bribery case.
In his order, Justice B Kemal Pasha said, "Preliminary inquiry shall be conducted without any malice and such a preliminary inquiry should be fair and just."
The high court was passing the order on a petition filed by Reddy against the preliminary inquiry ordered against him by a vigilance court for allegedly torpedoing the bar bribery case involving former finance minister K M Mani.

It also said the intervention from the part of the Director, VACB, regarding supervision should also be "fair and just" and should not reflect any hostile attitude towards the petitioner.
"The Director, VACB, as well as the present investigating officer dealing with the preliminary inquiry shall ensure that there is no hostile animus from their part towards the petitioner," the court said.
Reddy accused Vigilance directorJacob Thomas of being prejudiced against him because he (Reddy) hadfiled a report to the Lokayukta earlier stating that Jacob had violated service rules by going for employment at TKM Institute of Management and obtaining Rs 8.47 lakh in 2009 without government sanction.