The government, which is in a bind over the controversial appointment of CVC P.J. Thomas, is mulling action against certain officials who were allegedly responsible for failing to bring it to the notice of the selection committee that a request for prosecution sanction of Mr Thomas was pending with the government.
Official sources claimed that the selection committee comprising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, home minister P. Chidambaram and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, had not been informed that a request for prosecution sanction of Mr Thomas was pending with the department of personnel and training.
Now that the Centre is facing scrutiny from the Supreme Court over the selection of Mr Thomas as CVC, the sources said that the government will examine as to how such crucial information was not brought to the notice of the selection committee prior to his appointment. The government may take administrative action against the concerned officer who was responsible for preparing the note on Mr Thomas which was presented before the selection committee, an official said.
Government sources on Thursday indicated that if Mr Thomas chooses to resign, it will save some embarrassment to the government which faces the risk of strictures by the Supreme Court on his appointment. However, if Mr Thomas does not resign, the government may have to wait till the Supreme Court quashes his appointment.