FIR?against Kerala minister in graft case

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM (TIP): The Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) on Thursday registered a case against Finance Minister K M Mani on charges of accepting Rs 50 lakh as bribe from bar owners to ensure favourable decisions from the state government. The FIR on the case, submitted at a special vigilance court, comes after a Quick Verification initiated by the VACB following the request for a probe made by Leader of the Opposition V S Achuthanandan. Biju Ramesh, working president of the Kerala Bar Hotel Owners Association, had alleged that Mani accepted Rs 1 crore as bribe to ensure favourable decisions on issuance of bar licences in the state. Mani is also chief of Kerala Congress (M), a powerful ally of the Congress party in the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF).