The State government on Wednesday told a special court here that there was no evidence to prosecute former Finance Minister K.M. Mani in the bar bribery case.
Notably, Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar of the CPI has recused himself as complainant in the case, citing conflict of interest, given his Cabinet rank. Instead, CPI leader V.K. Raju would pursue the party’s stance in court.
Appearing for the State, C.C. Augustine, legal adviser, Vigilance, told Inquiry Commissioner and Special Judge D. Ajith Kumar that a third successive inquiry by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), under two different governments and three separate directors, had found no evidence to indict Mr. Mani for corruption.