Kerala orders two probes into job scam

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The Kerala government Wednesday suspended the Wayanad district collector and announced two probes into a job scam that surfaced last week.

The scandal surfaced after eight people who recently joined various offices under the revenue department in Wayanad district were found to have produced fake joining orders and advice memos of the Public Service Commission (PSC).

Addressing reporters here Wednesday, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said additional director general of police Vinson M. Paul would head the police probe. The second investigation would be departmental and would look into all appointments made in the last decade.

“It has also been decided that henceforth, whenever anyone gets a confirmation for a government job, a concurrence from the PSC too would be required,” said Achuthanandan.

He added that Wayanad district collector T. Bhaskaran, who was transferred Tuesday, has been suspended.

Two kingpins in the scandal - Abhilash Pillai, a government employee in the Wayanad collectorate and one of his relatives - surrendered before a court in Kochi Tuesday and were remanded to judicial custody.

The scam has come as a rude shock to the Communist Party of India (CPI), the second biggest party in the ruling Left alliance, as its legislator K.P. Rajendran holds the revenue portfolio, where the scam surfaced.

Allegations are also being made about the involvement of other CPI members.

State Congress president Ramesh Chennithala said that the needle of suspicion points towards the offices of Rajendran and Forest Minister Binoy Viswam, also of the CPI.