Didn’t know about chargesheet: Ex-CVC

Former CVC Pratyush Sinha admitted on Thursday that he was not aware of the chargesheet against PJ Thomas while clearing his name as chief secretary of Kerala in 2007. Aloke Tikku reports.

Former CVC Pratyush Sinha admitted on Thursday that he was not aware of the chargesheet against PJ Thomas while clearing his name as chief secretary of Kerala in 2007.

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The clearance formed the basis for Thomas’ selection a year later as the CVC. “If someone had told us, that would have made us think,” Sinha told HT.

The CVC’s vigilance clearance was the Centre’s primary defence in and outside the Supreme Court for appointing Thomas to lead the watchdog.

Another CVC official said he was under the impression the chargesheet had not been filed.

Meanwhile, Thomas’ 178-day stint as CVC has ended the possibility of his getting another government assignment. The CVC Act bars commission members from holding any government office to ensure they are not lured by future assignments.