THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vigilance Chief Manoj Abraham has given strict instructions to the units to wrap up the investigations in the 2000 pending cases against bribe-taking officers within six months. There are cases that have been pending for up to eight years. The investigation is getting delayed due to delays in getting documents from departments and the non-availability of evidence. One department that is particularly slow in providing documents is the cooperation department.
There are about 600 investigations and 1400 preliminary investigations which have not been conducted for eight years. All cases more than three years old should be completed by December. The rest should be completed within a year. A quota has been given to the units for this. Even those cases in which officers were caught red-handed with bribes are still pending. Political influence is another reason for the delay in the cases.
Even if the charge sheet is filed immediately in cases where bribery is caught with all the evidence, it will take 8-10 years for the bribe-takers to get convicted after trial. By then, the accused will be promoted and retired. Some will be dead. With such a situation providing a favourable ground for the bribe-takers, Vigilance has recommended that if there is strong evidence, instead of waiting for punishment, bribe-takers should be sacked after conducting a departmental inquiry within three months. Home Secretary Dr V Venu has given the file to the Chief Minister asking him to approve this. A decision will be made soon.
According to service rules, employees convicted of corruption can be dismissed even if they can go for an appeal. Although those arrested in bribery cases are remanded for a week and suspended for a year, they often return to the service and continue taking bribes. One section considers the arrest by the Vigilance as a license for taking bribes. The Vigilance chief has told the government that immediate dismissal of those caught in trap operations will reduce corruption.
36 officials arrested so far