DVAC gives clean chit to EPS in graft case moved by DMK
‘Irregularities Not Found In Highway Contracts’
Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com
Chennai:10.10.2018
The anti-corruption wing of state police has given a clean chit to chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on alleged corruption charges in awarding highway contracts. The Madras high court was informed that no cognizable offence had been made out against the CM and no irregularities were found in awarding contracts.
Vijay Narayan, Tamil Nadu advocate general, made the submission before Justice A D Jagadish Chandira on behalf of the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC) on Tuesday . Recording the submissions, the judge reserved his orders on the plea moved by the DMK seeking probe by a special investigation team (SIT) into the corruption allegations.
N R Elango, senior counsel representing DMK, contended that the petitioner had lost hope in the DVAC during the course of hearing as it completely batted in favour of the CM from the beginning. "Since we concluded that the DVAC cannot do a fair and impartial investigation, we filed an additional affidavit seeking transfer of the probe to the SIT," he said.
Rejecting the argument, Narayan submitted that the DVAC had conducted the preliminary inquiry as per the procedures and the findings had been forwarded to the vigilance commissioner. In response, Justice Jagadish Chandira asked Narayan why the DVAC did not conduct inquiry with the complainant. Narayan further submitted that as per DVAC Rules, it is not mandatory to question the complainant during preliminary probe. The law mandates compulsory inquiry of the complainant only during detailed inquiry.
He added that the entire correspondence between the World Bank and Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project (TNRSP), the implementing agency, had been provided to the DVAC to ensure complete transparency. To this, Justice Jagadish Chandira sought to know whether the state highways department and the DVAC would come under the administration of the chief minister.
Narayan responded that the highways department came under the CM but the DVAC was an independent authority administered by the vigilance commissioner who was a senior IAS officer of the rank of additional chief secretary.
‘Irregularities Not Found In Highway Contracts’
Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com
Chennai:10.10.2018
The anti-corruption wing of state police has given a clean chit to chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on alleged corruption charges in awarding highway contracts. The Madras high court was informed that no cognizable offence had been made out against the CM and no irregularities were found in awarding contracts.
Vijay Narayan, Tamil Nadu advocate general, made the submission before Justice A D Jagadish Chandira on behalf of the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC) on Tuesday . Recording the submissions, the judge reserved his orders on the plea moved by the DMK seeking probe by a special investigation team (SIT) into the corruption allegations.
N R Elango, senior counsel representing DMK, contended that the petitioner had lost hope in the DVAC during the course of hearing as it completely batted in favour of the CM from the beginning. "Since we concluded that the DVAC cannot do a fair and impartial investigation, we filed an additional affidavit seeking transfer of the probe to the SIT," he said.
Rejecting the argument, Narayan submitted that the DVAC had conducted the preliminary inquiry as per the procedures and the findings had been forwarded to the vigilance commissioner. In response, Justice Jagadish Chandira asked Narayan why the DVAC did not conduct inquiry with the complainant. Narayan further submitted that as per DVAC Rules, it is not mandatory to question the complainant during preliminary probe. The law mandates compulsory inquiry of the complainant only during detailed inquiry.
He added that the entire correspondence between the World Bank and Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project (TNRSP), the implementing agency, had been provided to the DVAC to ensure complete transparency. To this, Justice Jagadish Chandira sought to know whether the state highways department and the DVAC would come under the administration of the chief minister.
Narayan responded that the highways department came under the CM but the DVAC was an independent authority administered by the vigilance commissioner who was a senior IAS officer of the rank of additional chief secretary.
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