P J Thomas, whose appointment as Chief Vigilance Commissioner was cancelled by President Pratibha Patil after the Supreme Court held it as illegal, has moved the Delhi high court seeking stay of the appointment of his successor who is being sworn in on Thursday.
According to weather officials, wind speeds along and off the Odisha-West Bengal coasts are anticipated to reach 60 km/h from October 23, increasing to 120 km/h from October 24 night to October 25 morning.
The bench not only issued notices to the state government and its police authorities, but also stayed the coercive proceedings against Shankar.
The government on Thursday told the Supreme Court that once a bureaucrat is given a vigilance nod for appointment as secretary, no further clearance is required for empanelment for appointment as the central vigilance commissioner. "Once a person is appointed as secretary on clearance by the CVC, he can be considered for empanelment and no further inquiry is required," Attorney General G E Vahanvati submitted before a bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia.
Even as the United Progressive Alliance government continues to be in a tizzy over the Central Vigilance C's appointment, sources say that PJ Thomas has refused to quit, primarily because he feels that he is an honest man and because as the central vigilance commissioner he enjoys immunity against prosecution, particularly in corruption cases.
The anti-corruption watchdog posts have been vacant for the last nine months.
Sources said the report of the law panel on simultaneous polls is not yet finalised. They said "some more things are required to be done", indicating that the law panel will be invited again by the high-level committee.
Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will attend the meetings of the committee as a special invitee, while legal affairs secretary Niten Chandra will be secretary to the panel.
Defending his appointment as central vigilance commissioner, P J Thomas on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that there was no sanction to prosecute him in the Palmolein import case. In an affidavit, submitted to the apex court, Thomas said that his name was considered for empanelment for the post after the Central Vigilance Commission had given a clearance for it. He also said he was the senior-most bureaucrat to be considered for the CVC's job.
A vigilance court in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday posted to January 25 the trial in the Palmolein import graft case, in which former chief minister and Congress stalwart late K Karunakaran and Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas figure in the list of accused. When the case came up on Wednesday, the public prosecutor informed the court that first accused K Karunakaran was no more and he would file a report in this regard soon.
There is a great need to introduce a transparent process to select information commissioners, who are expected to oversee transparency, says former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi.
Two former CECs -- B B Tandon and T S Krishnamurthy -- were mandated to investigate the BSNL decision in the face of protest registered by Nokia-Siemens Network. The panel appointed by BSNL was duly approved by the chief vigilance commissioner. The complaint was referred to the panel after NSN, which was disqualified on technical grounds, alleged that the state-run telecom majors recent 93-million GSM lines tender was conducted in a non-transparent manner.
In the 56-page report released to the media after laying down office as Vigilance Commissioner, R C Samal accused three ministers and 18 senior All India Services (IAS, IPS and Indian Forest Service) officials of indulging in corrupt practices.
Police personnel checked vehicles and conducted flag marches at various places in Punjab on Wednesday while central forces maintained a tight vigil in Tripura.
President Pratibha Patil cancelled the appointment of P J Thomas on Monday as Central Vigilance Commissioner, 11 days after the Supreme Court quashed his selection by a high-power committee headed by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
Dr Singh should explain his worries, concerns, hopes and determination to act to the people through the media, says B Raman
Congress rebel Jaganmohan Reddy's mother Vijayamma on Thursday met leaders of political parties seeking their support in her campaign against the alleged harassment of her jailed son and complained to Chief Vigilance Commissioner about the "ulterior motive" of CBI in the case.
The bench said the petition has relied on a March 2 verdict of the apex court which had ruled that the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and ECs will be done by the President on the recommendation of a committee, comprising the prime minister, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and the CJI, to maintain the "purity of election".
In view of the discharge of water from the Khadakwasla, Mulshi, Pavana and other dams in the Pune region, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde directed authorities to be alert and shift people from dangerous zones to safer places.
Late cartoonist Mario Miranda, actors Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi, top mathematician M S Raghunathan, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner N Vittal and industry leader B Muthuraman were among those conferred the Padma awards by President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi on Wednesday.
With Bharatiya Janata Party demanding annulment of the government's decision to appoint Ranjit Sinha as the new Central Bureau of Investigation director, Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy on Friday said his selection has been done "in a fair manner following the due process".
Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar will hold a high-level meeting on Tuesday to decide on the next Central Bureau of Investigation director.
Six IPS officers have been shortlisted for the post of the CBI director once incumbent A P Singh retires in November. Sheela Bhatt reports
Former Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair and three other senior scientists, who were barred from holding any government posts, have been indicted by the country's top space body-appointed committee for acts of commission in the Antrix-Devas deal.
Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday described the Supreme Court's latest observations in the 2G spectrum case as the "second indictment" of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after the Chief Vigilance Commissioner fiasco and hoped that he will now draw the "right lessons" and not defend any corrupt minister.
So far, CBI's investigations into the coal scam are highly superficial and limited to small fishes. It is unlikely to go deeper in the political connections, a source tells rediff.com
New York amps up security after concerns reported
The former central vigilance commissioner, PJ Thomas has remained tightlipped ever since the Supreme Court ruled his appointment as illegal. In this candid interview, Thomas's counsel, Wills Mathews, tells rediff.com that the President's order is unconstitutional and that the Supreme Court order itself was shocking, as it did not have the jurisdiction to pass such an order.
Welcoming the Supreme Court's verdict quashing P J Thomas' appointment as chief vigilance commissioner, Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan demanded the resignation of those "responsible" for his posting including Home Minister P Chidambaram.
Officials said the polling went off peacefully in all segments including special polling stations along the International Border and Line of Control (LoC) with no untoward incident reported from anywhere.
Government on Thursday said former Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair was given a "due and adequate chance" by a high-level panel to put forth his views on the action taken against him in connection with irregularities in the Antrix-Devas deal.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Lokpal Bill will meet in New Delhi on September 7 to decide its procedure to fast track the comprehensive exercise for formulating a strong legislation. It will kick off its work by hearing Central Bureau of Investigation director A P Singh and Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar who have been sent notices to appear before it.
Irked by delay in response to queries raised by it, the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) may summon officials of Union and State governments in connection with alleged financial irregularities in different Commonwealth Games related projects.
Cancellation of 2G licenses by the Supreme Court clearly revealed a big scam and it was a "collective failure" of the government which "overlooked" warnings given by the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Central Vigilance Commissioner on the issue, Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy said on Thursday. "Everyone had warned, including the CAG and the CVC, but the government overlooked it," Swamy said soon after the Supreme Court cancelled the 122 spectrum licenses.
A day after Londoners were confronted with a 'sick and depraved' attack, crowds gathered in the heart of the city to pay tribute to the victims. Candles flickered on downturned faces as people paid tribute to those who had been killed and injured. The words "solidarity" and "unity" could be heard being exchanged in conversation after conversation.
Reacting sharply to Narendra Modi's barbs on the government over the coal controversy, Congress on Tuesday sought to turn the table on the Gujarat chief minister by reminding him of the graft allegations made against his government recently.
Criticising the police for arresting an SUV driver and blaming him for the incident, the high court said, "Mercifully, you have not challaned the rainwater for entering into the basement."
The Bharatiya Janata Party welcomed the judgement of the Supreme Court of India quashing the appointment Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas. BJP spokeperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said that in view of the order of the honourable Supreme Court, 'the time has come for Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to introspect.'
The Supreme Court reserved its verdict on petitions challenging the appointment of former bureaucrat P J Thomas, who is facing a corruption case in a Kerala court, as Central Vigilance Commissioner.
