Tainted IAS man taunts vigilance

BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik might be bragging about his Vigilance wing but IAS officer Prafulla Chandra Mishra is clearly not impressed. The bureaucrat, who is facing multiple cases of corruption, has decided to take on the anti-corruption wing. In his letter to the Chief Secretary, who heads the GA Department under which State Vigilance operates, Mishra has said the Vigilance is using the word “chargesheet” against IAS, IPS and IFS officers to mislead the State Assembly through the Government.Under CrPC, he said, the Investigating Officer merely submits a final report while it is the magistrate who takes cognizance of the offence. The term chargesheet is not available in the code.Besides, the magistrate takes cognizance of the “offence,” not the offender. Once the judge frames charges and takes cognizance, the Vigilance Directorate can “publicise their achievements of having chargesheeted IAS, IPS and IFS officers,” said the letter, a copy of which is with this paper.Mishra did not stop at that. Accusing former DGs and SPs of State Vigilance (he even named three of them) of corruption and incompetence, he said the anti-corruption officials cannot even write 200 words in the court language in one hour without committing  errors.The IAS officer, who is currently posted as Commissioner of Consolidation at Board of Revenue, Cuttack, also had words of advice on what should be the eligibility criteria for officials to be posted at the Vigilance Directorate. “It is desirable to post those subordinate police officers to Vigilance Directorate who have at least First Division or Higher Second Division in matriculation. Otherwise, such officers would file fabricated and incomprehensible chargesheets after conducting underhand dealings with real perpetrators (sic),” said Mishra, who had topped the IAS examination.He also requested the Chief Secretary to direct the Vigilance Directorate to submit information in such a structure that the word “chargesheet” is not misused to misinform the Government.