In a relief to the Kerala government, the vigilance bureau has given a clean chit to state Finance Minister KM Mani in connection with the bar bribery case.
The Bar Owners Association of Kerala had accused Mani of taking a Rs 1 crore bribe to renew bar licences.
However, the vigilance said after the probe that there was not enough evidence to chargesheet Mani. The vigilance court is slated to consider the report on Thursday.
This comes almost a week after the Opposition Left Front in Kerala moved an adjournment motion in the Assembly, alleging that the state government was trying to sabotage the inquiry in the bar bribery scam against Mani.
Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithakla had said that the Vigilance Director would submit a report to the Vigilance Court, following which a decision would be taken by the court. He also claimed that he had not interfered in the probe.
Vigilance had filed FIR against Mani on the basis of an allegation by Biju Ramesh, working president of Kerala Bar Hotel Owners Association, that the Finance Minister had demanded Rs five crore bribe as illegal gratification to facilitate the renewal of bar licenses and had received Rs one crore from the office bearers of the association between March 20 and April 2, 2014.
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