CHENNAI: In a twist in the
gutka scam case, now transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption has told the Enforcement Directorate that it cannot hand over a copy of the original FIR filed in the case.
The
DVAC told
ED officials that it had already given the FIR and the supporting case files to CBI and that they could get it directly from that agency, sources said. The DVAC has maintained a copy of the documents in the case, the sources added.
The FIR registered by the DVAC is crucial because it includes names of state government officials who have been booked in the case. After the
Madras high court directed the CBI to take over the case, it registered an FIR which named only unknown officials as accused. Based on the CBI's FIR, the ED registered a case and will investigate the money-laundering angle.
While a state government official said that the documents could not be sent to a second central government agency, a source in a central agency denied that there was any such regulation or guideline for information sharing.
ED officials cannot being their investigations until they get names of the accused, say sources. As the case involves agencies like the Income Tax department as well, the ED has written to all agencies requesting for sharing of official case files, said sources.
While the CBI's investigation will focus on nailing the corrupt officials who have allowed the manufacture and sale of gutka in the state by allegedly taking bribes, ED sleuths will look into the illegal proceeds of the crime and will attach properties procured through this illegal money, say sources.
The scam became a political hot potato when a senior politician in the AIADMK government and top police officers allegedly got kickbacks from a gutka manufacturer in Chennai to alow the illegal manufacture and sale of the product. The issue was raised in the assembly by the DMK and led to seizures of gutka across the state.
TOI reported how gutka is brought to the state from Delhi by illegaly detaining trains at select stations for periods longer than the usual halts. There have been seizures from trains at Chennai Egmore,
Dindigul and
Madurai stations.
