PJ Thomas may quit ahead of Monday's Supreme Court hearing

Central vigilance commissioner PJ Thomas is likely to step down from the post ahead of a Supreme Court hearing on Monday over his controversial appointment.

Thomas, who faces stringing observation from the apex court on his capacity to oversee CBI investigations in the second generation mobile telephony spectrum allocation scam in view of his name figuring in a criminal case, remained away from his office today.

Sources said that it was only a question of time before he sends his resignation - may be as early as tomorrow - to President Pratibha Patil, who was his appointing authority.

Though the CVC has been maintaining that there was no corruption charge against him and his conscience was clear, the sources said that he may put in his papers to avoid embarrassment to the government when the issue figures in the apex court.

Thomas' name figures in a chargesheet related to the alleged scam of importing Palmolein in Kerala in 1991 and the Supreme Court questioned how he would function in as CVC in view of a pending criminal case against him.

60-year-old Thomas, who was telecom secretary till recently, was appointed to the CVC's post by a three-member panel headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. But the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj gave a dissenting note when the Committee selected him.