The Central Bureau of Investigation which launched simultaneous multi-city raids on Wednesday in connection with the gutkha scam also carried out searches in the premises of Gulzar Begum, an Indian Revenue Service officer, Superintendents of Customs N.K. Pandian and Seshadri, Assistant Commissioner of Police Mannar Mannan, Inspector of Police, Sampath Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Sales Tax Kurunjiselvam, Assistant Commissioner of Sales Tax Panneerselvam, Sales Tax Officer Ganesan, officials of the Food Safety department Senthil Murugan, Lakshmi Narain and Siva Kumar, partners of Jayam Industries Madhava Rao, Uma Shankar Gupta and Srinivas Rao among others.
In a statement, the CBI said it was alleged that a Tamil Nadu-based private company was in the business of manufacturing and sale of gutkha and other chewable tobacco products since 2011. Subsequently, production and sale of gutkha was banned in the State in May 2013.
“During the period when the ban was in force, the Promoters/Directors of said company allegedly paid bribes to regulatory authorities and continued with the business of manufacturing and selling of Gutkha products illicitly,” the statement added.
The operation comes days after the CBI interrogated the manufacturer of MDM brand of gutkha Madhava Rao. Investigators also examined the persons who allegedly handed over the bribe money to top officials, and recorded their statements.
The gutkha scam, exposed by The Hindu in June 2017, pertains to the alleged involvement of top politicians, police officials among others, in taking bribes to the tune of ₹39.91 crore for facilitating the storage, transport and sale of the banned commodity in Chennai city.
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), registered a case in September 2017, but could not file a charge sheet within the stipulated six months. On a petition filed by DMK MLA J. Anbalagan, the Madras High Court transferred the case to the CBI. When challenged, the order of the Madras High Court was upheld by the Supreme Court.
In May last, the CBI’s Anti-Corruption (III) Unit, New Delhi, registered an FIR against unknown officials of the Central Excise Department, the Government of Tamil Nadu, the Food Safety Department, public servants and private persons under sections 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy) of the IPC and also invoked provisions under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
This is the second high profile search operation of the CBI in Tamil Nadu involving State police officers. In 2004, the agency had raided the Crime Branch CID in connection with the Telgi stamp paper scam. In December 2016, the Income Tax department searched the office and residence of the Chief Secretary P.S. Rama Mohana Rao which led to his transfer.