Kerala IAS officers to go on mass leave in protest against vigilance chief

Thiruvananthapuram: IAS officials in Kerala have decided to go on casual leave on Monday to protest Vigilance chief Jacob Thomas's "vindictive attitude".

The decision was taken late Saturday evening by the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Officers Association after Thomas, who holds the rank of Director General of Police. has been on a spree of indicting top IAS officials in Vigilance cases.

The latest to come under Thomas and his department's scanner was Additional Chief Secretary Paul Antony, who has been named as the third accused in the appointment of a nephew of then State Industries Minister E.P.Jayarajan to a government job. Furore about the appointment led to the Minister's resignation.

The meeting however has decided to see that all those officials attending to key duties for Monday are exempted from taking leave.

Among the IAS officials who have been indicted by Thomas include two other senior bureaucrats K.M.Abraham and Tom Jose, who both holding the rank of Additional Chief Secretary. Both of them have also seen their residences raided by vigilance sleuths late last year.

The IAS officials also alleged that Thomas is getting undue protection from the state government in corruption cases against him.

The meeting also decided to seek an appointment with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to brief him about the way Thomas is going about in a "vindictive fashion".