Chennai: The multi-crore gutka scam haunting the AIADMK government took a dramatic turn, albeit not unexpected, on Wednesday as the CBI investigators raided multiple premises, including those belonging to state health minister C Vijayabaskar, DGP TK Rajendran, retired DGP S George and former dairy minister BV Ramanna, in various locations in Tamil Nadu and other states.
The raids at about 35 places began early morning at about seven and went on till late evening. CBI sleuths were seen leaving the raided places with bags, presumably containing 'incriminating' documents and other evidence.
The CBI headquarters in Delhi issued a brief statement in the evening saying that 'searches' were carried out by its officers "at around 35 locations including Chennai, Thiruvallur, Tuticorin, Pondicherry, Bangalore, Mumbai & Guntur in an on-going investigation relating to Gutka scam case".
CBI said the raids were at the "residential premises of the Promoters/ Directors of the Company and other public servants including officials of Sales Tax Department, Customs & Central Excise, Food Safety & Drug Administration Department and jurisdictional Police officials". The probe agency did not identify the 'public servants' and police officials.
Leader of Opposition and DMK president MK Stalin called the raids a "shame on Tamil Nadu" and demanded that Governor Banwarilal Purohit dismiss Minister Vijayabaskar and DGP Rajendran if they do not quit voluntarily. It was a petition from his party's legislator J Anbazhagan to the Madras high court that had triggered the CBI probe as the court in April this year ordered that the 'lackadaisical' investigation into the scam by the state crime branch be transferred to the CBI.
Indicating he was in mood to quit, minister Vijayabaskar issued a stinging statement in the evening claiming innocence and swearing he would defeat the conspiracy of his detractors through political and legal ways.
Sources said DGP Rajendran called on Chief Minister K Palaniswami at the latter's residence in the evening and briefed him about the raid at his premises and possibly the overall impact on the government, politically and otherwise.
Barring the media releases from the CBI, minister Vijayabaskar and DMK chief Stalin, there has not been any official responses from any quarters on the sensational raids on Wednesday, which many see as a significant development in the scam that had come to light following CBI raids on July 8 last year on the residences, offices and godown of a pan masala and gutka manufacturer named Madhava Rao.
Entries in his diary indicated huge bribes paid to several people, including minister Vijayabaskar and the two police officers Rajendran and George, in order to carry on the gutka trade in Tamil Nadu, despite the ban on the tobacco substance that had been banned in TN in 2013.
Sources said thanks to the political and police patronage, the gutka trade thrived in Tamil Nadu with over 30,000 sellers in just Chennai region alone. While the police enforcement officials proudly proclaimed seizure of about 120 tonnes since 2013 in Chennai, it is said the actual quantity in active circulation could be at least ten times that much. It was also stated that only about 25 officers were in charge of monitoring the prevention wing and some of them had enjoyed hefty bribes, even as high as Rs 35 lakhs a month.
And so that leaves the CBI holding a heavy file, dusty and dirty, which may take a long time to arrive at its next ‘logical’ halt, the court of law.
