Additional Chief Secretary Finance K M Abraham sent the complaint to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
A tussle between top bureaucrats in Kerala surfaced today with Additional Chief Secretary Finance K M Abraham lodging a complaint with the chief minister against Vigilance Director Jacob Thomas, accusing him of acting "vengefully".
"Jacob is acting vengefully against me in retaliation for having recommended disciplinary action against him in the finance inspection report for irregularities committed by him and causing loss to public exchequer when he was the port director", Mr Abraham alleged.
"Manipulating power for fame and delusional grandeur may be choice of a civil servant but abusing power to harass other civil servants or anyone for that matter is illegal and unworthy of any civil servant", the senior IAS officer said.
He submitted the complaint to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan a day after vigilance officials conducted an inspection at his residence in connection with a disproportionate assets case.
"While I have no hesitation in disclosing all information that is required for completing the preliminary inquiry ordered against me by the Vigilance court, I humbly request the Chief Minister to ensure that I be allowed to function without having to face unmerited harassment and duress from the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau Jacob Thomas", he said.
Meanwhile, a group of senior IAS officers met Chief Secretary S M Vijayanand and expressed their dissatisfaction over the development.
Thomas had recently expressed his readiness to quit the post of Vigilance and had written to the chief minister after the Finance Inspection Wing recommended action against him for alleged irregularities in the installation of solar panels in port offices when he was the Port Director in 2013-14.
However, the chief minister had stated clearly that there was no need for Mr Thomas to move from the post of Vigilance Director.