SC invalidates Thomas as the CVC

March 03, 2011 16:18
SC invalidates Thomas as the CVC

 Supreme Court, Thomas, Chief Vigilance Commissioner, palomiline case, jd(u), bjp, manmohan, chidambaram, sushma swaraj In a hard blow to the Manmohan Singh government, the Supreme Court today struck down the appointment of P J Thomas as the Chief Vigilance Commissioner in regard to his alleged role in a corruption case.

Following the Supreme Court's order, the Kerala bureaucrat, Thomas has demited the office having been appointed as the CVC month back.  

The Supreme Court Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia, giving his verdict on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a voluntary body, remarked that the appointment by a high-powered panel, consisting of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P. Chidambaram and opposition leader Sushma Swaraj, did not exist in law. Further, the highest judiciary body in the country did not buy with the argument laid out by the Centre that  the appointment of the CVC is immune to judicial review.

Dignity of the institution is paramount rather than personal integrity though there is hardly any difference between the two, said the Apex Court.

The petitioner challenged the appointment of Thomas as the CVC saying that he faces serious corruption charges concerning importing of palm oil in 1992 when he served as Kerala's Civil Supplies Secretary.

The Supreme Court's judgment is considered yet another set back to the Manmohan Singh Government as it it is already mired in a myriad of problems like the 2G scam and the CommonWealth Games scam.

Responding to the ruling, Manmohan Singh said: "I respect the court judgment and I will speak in the house."

While the combined opposition party involving the BJP, JD(U), CPI, CPI(M) has welcomed the court's pronouncement vindicating their stand on the issue that the government did not respect their sentiments whilst selecting PJ Thomas as the CVC.

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