THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Vigilance Director N Shanker Reddy came out against the Vigilance Directorate alleging that the anti-corruption watchdog was trying to defame him. In his deposition before the Vigilance Court here, Reddy lashed out against Vigilance Director Jacob Thomas alleging that the officer was unnecessarily dragging his name in the vigilance cases to settle scores.
Reddy said Jacob Thomas was trying to wreak vengeance on him since he had prepared a report against the officer during his tenure as Vigilance Director.
The report was regarding the violation of service rules by Jacob Thomas as he had taken up a private job at the TKM Institute of Management in Kollam. The report said Thomas had obtained a salary of `8.47 lakh from TKM Institute and worked as an employee there for five months from April 2009, without obtaining permission from the government.
According to Reddy, Jaya, administrative assistant at the Vigilance Directorate and P Jyothikumar, Vigilance inspector in Kollam had forged a report against him in the bar bribery case. They prepared the report due to pressure from vested interests. He further deposed that he had only seconded the findings of SP R Sukeshan who had given a clean chit to former Finance Minister K M Mani.
Reddy also alleged the Vigilance Directorate had not taken any steps against Sukeshan for fabricating the witness in the bar bribery case though Crime branch SP P N Unnirajan had filed a report against him.
Reddy also criticised the authenticity of the polygraph test conducted on Ambili, the driver of hotelier Biju Ramesh. He said that the questionnaire for the polygraph test was prepared in such a way that Ambili could say yes to all the questions.
On Friday, the Vigilance had submitted the quick verification report before the Vigilance Court giving a clean chit to Reddy. However, Sukeshan deposed against him before the court alleging Reddy’s involvement in sabotaging the bar bribery case.
The Vigilance Court will pronounce the verdict on the Vigilance report in the preliminary inquiry against Reddy on February 7.