DVAC goes slow on FIRs after anti-graft act mandates govt nod
Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com
Chennai:16.10.2018
After filing cases at a frenetic pace over the last 18 months, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anticorruption (DVAC) has hit a speed bump after the Prevention of Corruption Act was amended in the last Parliament session.
Publicly available data on cases registered by DVAC shows that only a handful have been filed in the last two months. In the nine wings of the central range, which covers Chennai city and the neighbouring districts, the last case filed was on September 5.
This is mainly because the amended act states that before booking a case, the anti-corruption agency needs to take the approval of the government. Section 17 of the act has made it mandatory to take permission from the government even for booking cases against retired employees.
However, in cases pertaining to traps, where government employees are caught red-handed taking bribes, the DVAC doesn’t need permission from the government. But it would need permission to file a separate case of disproportionate assets – for instance, the DVAC has arrested a motor vehicle inspector in Villupuram for bribes and discovered several kg of gold and silver but had not yet booked a disproportionate assets case. Sources in the government said this is one of the reasons why the DVAC’s activities have become slower.
For instance, the DVAC had in February received a petition from the then higher education secretary Sunil Paliwal regarding a Rs 63-crore scam in the purchase of marksheets by Anna University. Sources said the DVAC was on the verge of filing a case after conducting inquiries against the then controller of examinations, G V Uma, who is also the prime accused in the re-evaluation scam.
A fresh case, however, has not been booked yet as the DVAC is waiting for permission from the government.
Sources said the DVAC had also conducted detailed inquiries pertaining to several scams in many of the 23 state universities much before governor Banwarilal Purohit flagged the issue of cash-for-VC posts and was waiting to file FIRs.
The agency has already booked three former VCs in alleged bribery cases. Vigilance commissioner Mohan Pyare admitted that the delay in booking cases was because sanction from the government was awaited.
Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com
Chennai:16.10.2018
After filing cases at a frenetic pace over the last 18 months, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anticorruption (DVAC) has hit a speed bump after the Prevention of Corruption Act was amended in the last Parliament session.
Publicly available data on cases registered by DVAC shows that only a handful have been filed in the last two months. In the nine wings of the central range, which covers Chennai city and the neighbouring districts, the last case filed was on September 5.
This is mainly because the amended act states that before booking a case, the anti-corruption agency needs to take the approval of the government. Section 17 of the act has made it mandatory to take permission from the government even for booking cases against retired employees.
However, in cases pertaining to traps, where government employees are caught red-handed taking bribes, the DVAC doesn’t need permission from the government. But it would need permission to file a separate case of disproportionate assets – for instance, the DVAC has arrested a motor vehicle inspector in Villupuram for bribes and discovered several kg of gold and silver but had not yet booked a disproportionate assets case. Sources in the government said this is one of the reasons why the DVAC’s activities have become slower.
For instance, the DVAC had in February received a petition from the then higher education secretary Sunil Paliwal regarding a Rs 63-crore scam in the purchase of marksheets by Anna University. Sources said the DVAC was on the verge of filing a case after conducting inquiries against the then controller of examinations, G V Uma, who is also the prime accused in the re-evaluation scam.
A fresh case, however, has not been booked yet as the DVAC is waiting for permission from the government.
Sources said the DVAC had also conducted detailed inquiries pertaining to several scams in many of the 23 state universities much before governor Banwarilal Purohit flagged the issue of cash-for-VC posts and was waiting to file FIRs.
The agency has already booked three former VCs in alleged bribery cases. Vigilance commissioner Mohan Pyare admitted that the delay in booking cases was because sanction from the government was awaited.
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