Only mid-level officials in FIR on gutka scam
Julie Mariappan| TNN | Oct 10, 2017, 06:58 IST
A total of 17 people have been named in the DVAC's FIR, and they included some mid-le vel officials, gutka manufacturer Madhava Rao and his associate Rajendran.
The names of several senior police officers, who figured in the list of names provided by income tax department to the former chief secretary P Rama Mohana Rao and former DGP Ashok Kumar, do not figure in the FIR. It was registered on September 27, sources told TOI. Among those who figure in the FIR are officials in the rank of assistant commissioners and below in police, commercial taxes, Greater Chennai Corporation, food safety and central excise departments. "The anti-graft agency filed the FIR on September 27 after preliminary investigation prima facie made out a case against them. It was taken up pursuant to a Madras high court order to that effect," said an official source.
While the agency is tightlipped about the developments, an investigation has begun on the alleged pay-offs to a minister and top bureaucrats by the manufacturer for aiding and abetting the sale of gutka banned under Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011. The main opposition DMK sought a CBI probe into the scam and raised the issue in the assembly in June.
A detailed investigation has begun with reference to documents received from the income tax department. "We have submitted the relevant files to DVAC," a senior IT official told TOI recently.
Acting on a tip-off, the department raided godowns in north Chennai in July last year and submitted reports to the chief secretary and DGP in August, seeking action from the administration. The IT documents revealed alleged payoffs made in 2015 and 2016 to the government officials.
After the opposition created a furore, chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said that the DVAC had begun a preliminary inquiry in January. Former Chennai city police commissioner S George too had recommended that the state probe the "connivance of police officers."
In a related development, another DVAC team began a probe into the case of the missing file submitted by the IT department to the former chief secretary on the gutka scam. The then principal director of income tax (investigation) B R Balakrishnan had called on Rao and handed over the report to him in the latter's chamber, "DVAC sent questionnaires to Balakrishnan, Rao and the former DGP on the missing files. Further investigations are on," an official said.
Julie Mariappan| TNN | Oct 10, 2017, 06:58 IST
CHENNAI: The uproar generated by the `gutka scam' in political circles notwithstanding, only mid-level government officials have been named in the first information report (FIR) registered by directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption.
A total of 17 people have been named in the DVAC's FIR, and they included some mid-le vel officials, gutka manufacturer Madhava Rao and his associate Rajendran.
The names of several senior police officers, who figured in the list of names provided by income tax department to the former chief secretary P Rama Mohana Rao and former DGP Ashok Kumar, do not figure in the FIR. It was registered on September 27, sources told TOI. Among those who figure in the FIR are officials in the rank of assistant commissioners and below in police, commercial taxes, Greater Chennai Corporation, food safety and central excise departments. "The anti-graft agency filed the FIR on September 27 after preliminary investigation prima facie made out a case against them. It was taken up pursuant to a Madras high court order to that effect," said an official source.
While the agency is tightlipped about the developments, an investigation has begun on the alleged pay-offs to a minister and top bureaucrats by the manufacturer for aiding and abetting the sale of gutka banned under Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011. The main opposition DMK sought a CBI probe into the scam and raised the issue in the assembly in June.
A detailed investigation has begun with reference to documents received from the income tax department. "We have submitted the relevant files to DVAC," a senior IT official told TOI recently.
Acting on a tip-off, the department raided godowns in north Chennai in July last year and submitted reports to the chief secretary and DGP in August, seeking action from the administration. The IT documents revealed alleged payoffs made in 2015 and 2016 to the government officials.
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Without blessing of top level hands, such scams would not have happened but big fishes are always escaped leaving the small being caught.After the opposition created a furore, chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said that the DVAC had begun a preliminary inquiry in January. Former Chennai city police commissioner S George too had recommended that the state probe the "connivance of police officers."
In a related development, another DVAC team began a probe into the case of the missing file submitted by the IT department to the former chief secretary on the gutka scam. The then principal director of income tax (investigation) B R Balakrishnan had called on Rao and handed over the report to him in the latter's chamber, "DVAC sent questionnaires to Balakrishnan, Rao and the former DGP on the missing files. Further investigations are on," an official said.
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