SC to hear P J Thomas' plea after vacation

The Supreme Court today decided to hear after summer vacation the plea of retired IAS officer P J Thomas seeking quashing of a 22-year-old pending corruption case against him due to which his appointment as Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) was held illegal.
"For the last 22 years, I (Thomas) am suffering," Thomas' counsel Will Mathew told a bench comprising Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and justices Vikramajit Sen and S A Bobde.
The retired bureaucrat had sought early hearing of his petition but it could not be taken up after the notice was issued on February 22.
He had moved the apex court after the Kerala High Court dismissed his plea for quashing the corruption case pertaining to the import of palmolein oil from a Singapore firm, which was allegedly done at prices higher than the international rate during his tenure as Food Secretary in the state government.

The import of oil allegedly caused a loss of Rs 2.32 crore to the state exchequer.
Thomas, in his petition, submitted that there is nothing on record to show that he committed any offence and he was only executing a cabinet decision as a dutyful civil servant.
"The petitioner is facing trial, despite the fact that he has not committed any offence according to the law of the land, and as such there is nothing in the record to be termed as offence to be tried in the eyes of law against him and the continuance of the trial amounts to violation of fundamental rights," the petition said.