New Delhi, July 13 (ANI): Months after the Supreme Court termed his appointment as head of anti-corruption body as 'illegal', former Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) P J. Thomas filed a petition in the Delhi High Court today seeking directions to the government not to finalise the appointment of the new CVC till President Pratibha Devisingh Patil decides his representation.
Thomas had in a presentation submitted to President Patil on March 16 requested her to refer the decision of the apex court annulling his appointment as CVC to a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court.
Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar, who was unanimously selected by a three-member committee consisting of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, earlier this month, is scheduled to be sworn in as the next CVC on Thursday.
The post of India's top anti-corruption watchdog has been lying vacant since March.
The Supreme Court had on March 3 set aside the appointment of PJ Thomas as head of anti-corruption body Central Vigilance Commission, even as it laid down stringent guidelines for future appointments of Chief Vigilance Commissioner.
The Supreme Court set aside the September 3, 2010 recommendation for appointment of Thomas as CVC as 'illegal' since the high-powered committee did not consider the pending chargesheet in the Palmolein import scam.
The apex court said that the committee's recommendation on appointment of Thomas 'does not exist in law'.
The committee, for whatsoever reason, failed to consider relevant material recommending action against Thomas, the apex court added.
President Patil had cancelled Thomas's appointment as CVC on March 14 after the Supreme Court declared the appointment void on March 3 for his alleged involvement in a corruption case in Kerala in the 1990s. (ANI)
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