Wednesday, February 2, 2011

2 Feb 2011

CHIDU'S REJOINDER TO SUSHMA'S CHARGE: CVC SELECTION

From Our Delhi Bureau

NEW DELHI: In a rejoinder issued "most reluctantly," Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday took exception to Lok Sabha Opposition leader Sushma Swaraj of BJP claiming that he had misled the central vigilance commissioner (CVC)selection committee that P J Thomas had been "acquitted" in Kerala's Palmolein import case.

She is tying herself in knots by making thoughtless allegations that go against her own admissions, he said while urging her "to respect the rule of sub judice and allow the Supreme Court to decide the case."

"Firstly, if no sanction for prosecution had been granted since 1999 against Thomas, how could the case have proceeded to trial or ended in an acquittal?  Secondly, if the Supreme Court had stayed the trial of the case (as admitted by her), is it not self-evident that the case was pending and nobody could have been either acquitted or convicted," Chidambaram said.

He reiterated the stand taken on Monday that "the selection committee was aware of the palmolein case; that no sanction for prosecution of Thomas had been granted since 1999; that the case was pending in the Trial Court; that the Supreme Court had stayed the trial of the case; and that the then CVC had granted vigilance clearance in respect of Thomas."

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