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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
 Posted - 10/09/2009 : 09:35:44
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HC comes down on state govt for defending corrupt officers
PTI
The Kerala High court today rapped the state government for “defending” corrupt officers and observed that the act would create doubt in public regarding its sincerity to fight corruption.
The sharp observations were made by Justice S Sirijagan when a petition against a senior engineer of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) Palakaad, who was caught red-handed for allegedly accepting bribe, came up for hearing.
The official, A K Surendran, KSPCB senior Environmental Engineer, who was unmindful of the first case pending against him, had got himself involved in another more serious case of corruption, the court held.
The government’s stand in defending him in this case would create doubt in the minds of the public regarding the government’s sincerity about their professed commitment to fight corruption, the judge said.
“It (corruption) is presently the cancer eating into the body of our democracy. If fight against corruption is not mere lip service to pull the wool over the eyes of the public, the government would do well to cancel the promotion of the accused official,” the court held.
It also directed government to pass orders within a month on whether it was necessary to keep the official under suspension in view of the criminal cases against him.
The court also asked government to consider whether the officer’s promotion as senior environmental engineer requires to be cancelled and if it was necessary to initiate disciplinary proceedings in respect of corruption charges against him.
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HC comes down on state govt for defending corrupt
