MADURAI: Refusing to pass interim orders on a public interest litigation filed against the Director General of Police (DGP) T K Rajendran, for a Court monitored inquiry into missing of documents relating to his involvement in Gutkha scam, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court sought response from the DGP and other concerned persons including Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, former Chief Secretary Rama Mohana Rao and V K Sasikala among others.

A bench comprising Justices K K Sasidharan and P D Audikesavalu gave the direction following the contentions of the litigant's counsel seeking an interim direction to restrain the DGP from discharging his duties. As the notices were yet to be served to the parties and no counter has been filed so far, the Judges refused to pass any interim orders and adjourned the case to January 21 for filing of response by DGP and others.

K Kathiresan, Urban District Secretary of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) of Madurai, had submitted in his litigation that the appointment order issued to the Rajendran on June 30, 2017, had been obtained by fraudulent means.

He alleged that even after the I-T department gave a copy of documents linking Rajendran's name to Gutkha scam, found during the Income-Tax raid conducted at MDM Gutkha manufacturing company, to the State government, the government had deliberately suppressed the same recommending extension of Rajendran's tenure.

He also recalled that when he challenged the extension before the Court, the incumbent Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan filed an affidavit denying receipt of any such documents.

She also failed to order inquiry into the missing of the documents even when the same was seized by the I-T officials from former AIADMK leader V K Sasikala's room in Poes Garden, he stated and prayed for a direction to conduct an independent Court-monitored investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of CBI and an interim direction to restrain the DGP from discharging his duties.