Thiruvananthapuram: Former Finance Minister KM Mani, who is alleged to have received big money as bribe in Kerala’s sensational Liquor Bar Graft case, is in trouble again as the Vigilance court has ordered further probe into the case.
The Court ordered the probe acting on a petition filed by Vigilance SP R Sukesan before the vigilance court stating that evidences were manipulated to give a clean chit to Mani in the second probe report. He revealed in his affidavit that his former police chief Shankar Reddy manipulated the case diary, discarded crucial evidences and forced him to make changes in the second probe report in favour of the accused.
Vigilance SP Sukesan who had found Mani guilty in his first probe into the Bar Graft Case had exonerated the accused in the second probe report. Sukesan accused his chief of manipulating the report. Sukesan alleged that his recommendation for a chargesheet against Mani was turned down by Reddy.
K M Mani now claims no involvement in the corruption case on the strength of Sukesan’s second report.
The Vigilance SP’s new revelation to the Court has dealt a severe blow to Mani’s claims. Mani’s fate now hangs on the political decision by the CPM Led LDF Government in Kerala.
