Latest news with #KrishiBhavans
The Hindu
4 days ago
- The Hindu
After 25 years, Kerala woman cleared of corruption charges that tainted her 34-year government service
Twenty-five years is no small period in a lifetime; even more so in the career of a government servant with a service of 34 years. That is how long L. Laila, 69, a former assistant director with the Kerala agriculture department, had to wait for justice and be cleared of the 'corrupt' tag that turned her life and career into one running nightmare. When the Special Vigilance Court, Muvattupuzha, acquitted her of the corruption and forgery charges on May 25, 2025, quarter of a century later, it seemed more like the legal maxim, justice delayed is justice denied, taught the hard way. 'Of course, I am relieved, but it does not compensate for all the humiliation and mental anguish I had to go through and which I would not have survived without the support of my husband,' says Ms. Laila, sitting at her house at Piravom. She was booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the IPC sections for forgery and falsification of accounts for alleged misappropriation of ₹3.47 lakh while serving as assistant director of agriculture, Piravom, for three years from 1993. It came back to bite her later in 2000 when she was due for promotion. Not only was she denied promotion, but she was demoted as an agriculture officer, a post in which she started her service in 1978. A prolonged period of litigation ensued, initially in the Court of Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge, Thrissur, and then before the Special Vigilance Court, Muvattupuzha. The case was that she misappropriated funds allotted for distribution to eight Krishi Bhavans under her jurisdiction by transferring them to a bank account in the name of the Assistant Agriculture Director, Piravom. 'An election was round the corner, and there was a direction to ensure that it didn't hamper the allotment of funds to important projects. I transferred the funds to the bank account to avoid a potential treasury ban. The funds were eventually transferred to all Krishi Bhavans,' Ms. Laila says. The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) further investigated the case. A supplementary final report filed before the court on September 28, 2024, absolved Ms. Laila of causing any loss to the State exchequer. It had been 12 years since she had retired when that clean chit came, and her two children, who were school-going kids when her ordeal started, were now settled with good jobs as their mother finally stands vindicated. In the bargain, Ms. Laila lost two promotions, as deputy director and joint director, and related benefits worth lakhs in salary, increment and retirement benefits. She has already written to the Agriculture department requesting restoration of notional promotion and the related benefits. She is bracing for another round of litigation if that request is turned down.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- The Hindu
Former Agriculture dept. official acquitted after 25 years of litigation
The Special Vigilance Court, Muvattupuzha, has acquitted a former Agriculture department officer of corruption charges after the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) filed a supplementary final report stating that the accused had not committed any offence. L. Laila, 69, of Piravom, was acquitted after nearly 25 years of litigation following a discharge petition she had filed. She was accused of misappropriating ₹3.47 lakh of government funds through forgery while serving as Assistant Director, Piravom, between October 1, 1993, and October 30, 1996. Consequently, she was booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act and various provisions of the Indian Penal Code for criminal breach of trust, forgery, and falsification of accounts. In his verdict, Special Judge N.V. Raju observed that there was neither any material evidence to suggest that Ms. Laila had forged documents nor any instance of falsification of accounts, either in the VACB's final report or in the statements of witnesses. Ms. Laila was accused of misappropriating funds allotted for distribution to eight Krishi Bhavans under her jurisdiction by transferring them to a bank account in the name of the Assistant Director, Piravom, and to her personal account. The petitioner claimed that the transfer was made to overcome a treasury ban and that the funds were eventually distributed to the concerned Krishi Bhavans. In the supplementary final report, the VACB conceded that no loss was caused to the government, but stated that her act was, at best, a violation of the Kerala Financial Code and the Rules of the Treasury Code. She was represented by her counsel N.P. Thankachan. 'It is well settled that a mere violation of the rules of business does not amount to criminal misconduct unless there is evidence of gain made by the public servant or any other person through abuse of office or by criminal means. As already said, there is no misappropriation involved in this case,' the judge said. 'The supplementary report clearly exonerates the accused of the alleged offences, and hence the report is liable to be accepted,' the verdict said.
