THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Not only the previous LDF Government, but the present UDF Government too tried to conceal the findings of the Vigilance inquiry report on the allegations levelled against KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala related to the Kanichukulangara murder case. An RTI application querying about the status of the inquiry received an opaque reply that would only strengthen one’s doubts about Chennithala’s involvement, that too 10 days after the swearing-in of Oommen Chandy Government. On Sunday, the CMO clarified that Chennithala had been exonerated by the Vigilance inquiry which probed into the allegations levelled by V A Hakkim, who was the convenor of Kanichukulangara Action Council. The press release issuedby the CMO also alleged that the previous LDF Government tried to keep the Vigilance report under wraps. On Monday, KPCC spokesperson M M Hassan alleged that the LDF Government had purposefully concealed the Vigilance inquiry report. But,the RTI applicant, who filed an appeal to the Vigilance appellate authority on July 4 this year, is yet to get any reply from the Vigilance Department. The Vigilance inquiry team led by SP V K Girijanathan Nair had found that there was no evidence against Chennithala in any of the allegations levelled by Hakkim. The team also noted that Hakkim has a blemished background and is a history-sheeter. “There is no need for any inquiry into the fake complaints by Hakkim,’’ notes the inquiry report. Hakkim had alleged that N S Sajith and K N Binish, who owned the Himalayan Chit Fund, had bribed Chennithala by gifting him acres of land and `1 crore. On primary verification itself, these allegations were proved baseless. However, to an RTI question posed to the Vigilance by human rights activist Jomon Puthenpurackal in May this year, the department gave a reply which said disclosing the details of Vigilance inquiry report will hamper the ongoing inquiry into the case. The only questions which received a transparent reply were about the officer who led the inquiry and the date - March 10 this year- on which the inquiry report was submitted. For other questions, the Vigilance PIO replied on May 27 that details could not be divulged as the State Government didn’t take a final decision on the issue. On July 4, Jomon filed an appeal at the state appellate authority. Three weeks have passed but he is yet to get any reply from the government. “There is no point in blaming the LDF Government for this. It is the Vigilance director who is the real defaulter,’’ Jomon told ‘Express.’
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