The Supreme Court of India on 03-03-2011 made an historic order by quashing the appointment of Chief Vigilance Commissioner, PJ. Thomas.

     A report published on CNN website dated 03-03-2011 stated that  India's beleaguered government suffered another blow Thursday as the country's Supreme Court quashed the appointment of the top anti-corruption investigator because he himself faced allegations of fraud.

     According to CNN report The Supreme Court noted that charges of corruption against the man chosen to head India's anti-corruption commission were overlooked while making the appointment last year, attorneys said.

     According to the CNN report, Central vigilance commissioner P.J. Thomas has been linked to a deal to fraudulently import palm oil from Malaysia at higher prices as a senior bureaucrat in the southern state of Kerala in the 1990s.

     According to a report published on Times of India dtd. 03-03-11, “Thomas, 60, facing a corruption case in a Kerala court relating to Palmolein import scam, resigned immediately after the apex court gave its keenly awaited verdict, just six months after the former bureaucrat was appointed as the 14th CVC.”

     According to CNN report,  “The Supreme Court quashed Thomas' appointment, citing the pending case against him, advocate Prashant Bhushan said. Bhushan represented a group of petitioners who had challenged the selection of Thomas for the key post”.

     The Opposition parties were pressurizing the Government  to remove P.J Thomas from the post of Chief Vigilance Commissioner on the ground of his alleged involvement of fraudulent acts and pending cases.

     According to a report published on Times of India dtd. 03-03-11, “Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said he respected the Supreme Court verdict on the quashing of the appointment of P J Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner .”

     Government made every possible effort to justify the appointment of PJ Thomas for the post of CVC as legal but all goes in vain as we know law will take its own course and every misdeed shall come under the scanner of law.  

     In brief we can say the quashing of PJ Thomas’ appointment as CVC by the Supreme Court of India is another blow on the face of corruption after the high profile arrest of A. Raja and Shahid Balwa in infamous 2G scam and an win of democracy and the credibility of our Judiciary as the Opposition parties were continuously pressurizing the Government to remove PJ Thomas from the constitutional post of Chief Vigilance Commissioner and the Hon’ble Supreme Court gave the historic decision in respect of petition filed by a group of petitioner questioning the appointment of PJ Thomas for the post of CVC as criminal cases were pending against PJ Thomas at the time of his appointment as CVC.  And also it was a matter of highly concern because a person against whom Criminal cases of Fraud and corruption is pending in a court of Law should never be appointed for the Constitutional post of Chief Vigilance Commissioner. If the man who has to vigil the corruption in the country is himself involved in criminal cases then it shall be a shame for our Nation.

     Now the Government should realize that there is no respite for the corrupt personal in India any more in the Future. Government may adopt hundred stunts to safeguard and patronize the corruption and corrupt personal but ultimately they must have to be accountable and must pay for their misdeeds. Let the Government be aware of the menace of corruption and be transparent and fair in the affairs of the appointment of Constitutional post and all other affairs of the Government.

 (All the views made herein are my personal views and are not meant to harm anybody)

Pronoy Kumar Ghose

Advocate

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