IOC suspends DGM arrested in bribery case
Kochi (PTI): The Indian Oil Corporation suspended its Deputy General Manager Alex Mathew on Sunday, a day after he was arrested while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from a gas agency owner in Thiruvananthapuram.
Mathew, the DGM at IOC's Ernakulam office, was caught red-handed at the complainant's residence in Kuravankonam on Saturday night by officers of the Special Investigation Unit-1 of the Vigilance Department, officials said.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the IOC said it has taken action to place the official under suspension based on media reports regarding his arrest.
However, the central PSU didn't mention his, name or his designation in the statement.
"In response to several media reports regarding alleged corruption by an official of the Corporation, Indian Oil has taken action to place the officer under suspension and strict disciplinary action will be initiated as per rules," it said.
The statement issued by Geethika Varma, Chief General Manager and state head of IOC, also said that Indian Oil is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and transparency in all its operations.
According to the Vigilance Department, Matthew had allegedly demanded Rs 10 lakh from the complainant to prevent the transfer of customers from his wife's IOC-licensed gas agency to other agencies.
When the complainant refused, the official allegedly transferred 1,200 connections to other agencies, a Vigilance statement had said.
The accused later warned the complainant that more customer connections would be reassigned if the bribe was not paid upon his visit to Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, it said.
Following the threat, the gas agency owner informed the Vigilance Department, which laid a trap and arrested Mathew while accepting the bribe, the statement added.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
