Thrissur: The Vigilance court Saturday directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to register an FIR against Excise Minister K. Babu over the bar bribery allegations.
“A probe should be ordered against K.Babu after registering an FIR against him over the bar bribery allegations. The probe should be under the court’s observation,” the court ordered.
The court also asked the Vigilance to submit its probe report in a month.
The court also made sharp comments on the vigilance department over the delay in submitting the quick verification report.
"Since the Lokayukta is functioning, do you think that the vigilance court has been closed. If the officials had the honesty, commitment and willpower, the report could have been submitted within 10 days," the court asked.
Bar owner Biju Ramesh had trained his guns on Babu making revelation that the minister had received bribes for renewal of licences of liquor bars.
Denying the allegations against him, Babu had challenged Biju to come out with details of the bribe - when, where and to whom the money was paid.
He had also filed a defamation case against Biju stating that it was false allegations with an intention to defame him.