Vigilance collects evidence from compound of Mani's residence

Thiruvananthapuram: Vigilance and Anti- Corruption Bureau officials, probing the bar scam, have taken evidence from the compound of the official residence of State Finance Minister K M Mani, who is facing bribery charges.

Officials examined the vehicle register kept at the police outpost at the official residence compound of the Minister on Monday, sources said.

However, the officials did not enter Mani's residence.

Mani, supremo of Kerala Congress(M), the third largest partner in the Congress led ruling UDF, was not present at the time of examination, the sources said.

The collection of evidence was in the background of the statement given to the Vigilance by the driver of Kerala Bar Hotel Owners Association Working President Biju Ramesh that he had gone in his employer's car to the minister's residence.

Reacting to the development, Mani's office today denied that the car had come to his residence.

"Mani is staying in the Cliff House compound, where six other ministers also reside. There is only one police outpost with a vehicle register," the FM's office pointed out.

Meanwhile, Mani said he was not upset over the development and that the law would take its own course.

Asked about it during the cabinet briefing, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said he was unaware of the development, adding that "government will not interfere in the vigilance probe. I have no anxiety over the vigilance probe into the matter", he said.

Ever since the scam broke out in November last, Chandy has maintained that there was no truth in the allegations and it was part of a political conspiracy.

The Vigilance had filed an FIR against Mani in the court after holding a quick verification on a complaint of CPI-M veteran and Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan based on the allegations of Biju Ramesh. The Left front has been on a war path, demanding Mani's resignation over the issue.