Chennai: The multi-crore gutka scam that has been giving sleepless nights to the powers-that-be in the government after the CBI launched raids in multiple places and effected arrests over the last three days is on the radar of the Enforcement Directorate too, sources said.
Considering the strong possibilities of large-scale money-laundering by the gutka manufacturers and the rest of the persons in the long list of suspects, the ED has begun a probe into the various possibilities of the suspected crime, they said, adding that the bombshell thrown by former Chennai Police Commissioner S George at his press conference held in his Chennai home on Friday could provide some ‘meat’ for the ED sleuths in terms of the possible names of state police officials for questioning.
Meanwhile, Villupuram SP Jayakumar on Saturday stoutly denied allegations made against him by ex-CoP George that he, as deputy commissioner at Chennai, had neglected the gutka probe and kept the superiors in the dark while diverting his team to go after the red sanders gang.
“I have functioned in an honest and transparent manner all along in my service so far”, he told reporters, insisting he was innocent in the gutka scam.
The SP said while George as a retired officer had all the freedom to say what he pleased-and nothing of what he said about him was true-he was bound by the service rules and so cannot speak his mind out.
On the political platform, the ruling party leaders-ministers, ex-ministers and senior functionaries-have been insisting that it is not necessary for Health Minister C. Vijayabasker to resign “just because the CBI raided him and there is an allegation”.
The opposition parties, particularly the DMK, have been demanding that the Governor should sack the minister.
