SC stays contempt proceedings against former Vigilance director Jacob Thomas

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Kerala High Court on an Special Leave Petitionpreferred by the state’s former vigilance director Jacob Thomas against the March 20 order of the high court initiating suo motu contempt of court proceedings against him, thereby staying the proceedings.

The SC Bench consisting of Justice AK Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan, issued the stay following the Kerala High Court's contempt proceedings against former vigilance director Jacob Thomas for levelling allegations of corruption against two high court judges – Justice P Ubaid and Justice Abraham Mathew, who were allegedly victimising him by passing adverse judgments in several corruption cases he has been probing, including the Pattor land scam.

The order follows a complaint made by Thomas on March 9 to Central Vigilance Commissioner in which he had made several allegations against the two judges and also the Lokayukta Pius C Kuriakose of demoralizing him from probing corruption cases involving highly influential persons of the state.

Advocate Mansoor BH, a practicing lawyer in the Kerala High Court, had also moved a contempt petition also praying for inquiry into Thomas's allegations and how his complaint was made public.

Mansoor said he saw reports in all leading newspapers on March 10 about the complaint made by Thomas based on the complaint sent by him to the CVC through the Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala.