Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has given permission to the CBI to take action against former ministers C.Vijayabaskar, P.V.Ramana and 9 others in the Gutka scam case.
Also, the Tamil Nadu government is taking action to seek permission from the Union Home Ministry to take action against former IPS officers TK Rajendran and S.George.
In 2016, the income tax department conducted a raid at Pan Masala company MTM in Senkungunram, a suburb of Chennai. In this, the company was found to have evaded taxes to the tune of Rs.250 crores.
Through the diary seized during the raid, C.Vijayabaskar, the then Tamil Nadu Health Minister, PV Ramana, the Commercial Taxes Minister, former DGP DK Rajendran, former Chennai Metropolitan Police Commissioner S.George, to illegally sell Gutka across Tamil Nadu. When 11 people helped, it was revealed that they had been bribed in crores.
Subsequently, late DMK MLA J. Anpahagan filed a case in the Madras High Court demanding a CBI investigation into the Gutka scam.
In the reply filed by the Central Excise Department in that case, it was informed that “Rs. 55 crore has been transferred through Hawala mode to illegally bring Gutka products produced in Delhi to Tamil Nadu”.
Similarly, in the reply petition filed by Susibabu Varghese, Principal Director, Investigation Division of Income Tax Department, “According to information received that Gutka was being illegally stored in Tamil Nadu and sold in the fake market, a search was conducted at Sengunram Gutka warehouse on July 8, 2016. Based on the documents available to us then, separate confidential letters were sent to the then Chief Secretary and DGP urging action against key persons involved in the scam.
Madhavrao said that Rs 56 lakh has been given as a bribe to the Minister of Health.
The then Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Kuddoos, who heard the case, said, “Gutka, which is harmful to the community, should be eradicated. Since ministers and DGPs have been accused in this case, we are transferring the case to the CBI.”
In the first phase of this corruption case, the CBI arrested 6 persons namely Gutka factory owner Madhavrao, partners Srinivasa Rao, Uma Shankar Gupta, Food Safety Department Officer Senthilmurugan, Central Excise Department Officer NK Pandian and Health Department Inspector Sivakumar and charged them in 2018. Filed.
Further, the enforcement department has also registered a separate case in connection with the Gutka scam and has frozen assets worth Rs 246 crore belonging to some of the accused.
Meanwhile, the CBI had sent a letter to the government a few days ago, denying prior permission to file a legal case against 11 people, including former ministers and DGPs, involved in this allegation.
In this regard, Chief Secretary V. Irayanbu and Home Secretary Panindra Reddy consulted with legal experts.
In this case, the Tamil Nadu government has given permission to register a legal case against 9 people, including former ministers, except for the 2 retired IPS officers involved in the case.
The Tamil Nadu government has also decided to send a proposal to the Union Home Ministry seeking permission to take action against the retired IPS officers.