That Paul, who is said to be under tremendous pressure from various quarters, has not handed over the charge to anyone in the investigation team has reinforced the perception that the Government is desperate to save the beleaguered FM, Mani.

In the normal course, Paul should have handed over charge to ADGP, Jacob Thomas, who is part of the team probing the bar bribery case, and who is the next in command. But Thomas is unlikely to be entrusted with the probe as he is believed to be the officer who insisted on an FIR being filed against Mani. An honest and no-nonsense officer, Thomas has obviously incurred the displeasure of Mani.

The growing public perception in the state is that orchestrated efforts are on to scuttle the probe. And the not-so-covert operations to undermine the probe are taking place despite the HC giving complete freedom to the investigation team to conduct a free and fearless probe. The court has told the probe team that they need not report to the state government about any aspect of the investigation. That attempts to influence the probe have been on could also attract the charge of contempt of court.

Equally surprising has been the Kerala High Court’s refusal to order a CBI inquiry into the case, demanded, through a public interest litigation by RSP(B) leader, A. V. Thamarakshan.

The HC has ruled out a CBI probe at this stage on the ground that the investigation is still in progress and there is no material to come to the conclusion that the VACB is not carrying on a free and impartial probe. Petitioner Thamarakshan had sought the CBI probe, alleging that there was severe pressure on the investigating officers and there is no possibility of an effective investigation in the case.

The HC order has caused eyebrows to be raised all round as a substantial section of the public believes that the ground reality tells an entirely different tale.

It is an open secret that there have been concerted efforts ever since the team began its probe to influence it and save the Finance Minister, whose support is essential for the survival of the Oommen-Chandy-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Government. The Kerala Congress(M), which Mani heads, has nine MLAs in the state assembly, and the Government is simply not in a position to offend Mani. Hence the orchestrated moves to scuttle the probe.

It all began with the Cabinet passing a resolution, even as the probe team was on the job, extending full support to Mani. The message to the team was loud and clear: do not come out with a report which goes against the Finance Minister! Close on the heels came the Home Minister’s pronouncement that Mani was safe though an FIR has been filed against him!

Then came the promotion as DGP for ADGP Jacob Thomas. When the decision drew severe flak, the government came out with the explanation that there is no move to shift him and that it was only a normal promotion!

As if all this was not enough, now comes the sensational revelation by the working president of the Bar Owners Association (BOA), Biju Ramesh, that the Chief Minister himself had tried to influence him and other bar owners to drop the bribery charges against Mani!

Biju has accused the Government of trying to seize the hard disk which contains the crucial conversation between the bar owners and the political leaders – the main evidence to support his allegations. Biju is on record that the Vigilance wants the disk so that it can scuttle the probe. He has expressed his readiness to hand over the disk to a central agency. BIju has also said he won’t hand it over to the VACB as he does not trust it, adding that the hard disk contains proof of the CM’s attempt to influence the bar owners.

Ramesh has further claimed, now that Vinson Paul has decided to go on leave, the Government is all set to reshuffle the probe team to save Mani and other ministers who have been accused of accepting bribes running into crores from the bar owners.

Meanwhile, the case has acquired a new dimension with the Enforcement Directorate(ED) initiating a preliminary probe against Mani under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act(PMLA), which has provisions to attach if illegal assets are unearthed. Reports have it that the probe against Mani will not be confined to the money allegedly paid to him under the bar bribery scam but also include the assets of his kith and kin. The offence is punishable with imprisonment up to seven years. (IPA Service)