Chennai: Four months after the then Chennai police commissioner S.George wrote a letter to the home secretary to initiate a probe to know about possible involvement of police officers in allowing illegal gutka factories, the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption began an enquiry into the episode.
Sources in the DVAC said that the probe has began and indicated that all the officers who were responsible for Red Hills police station jurisdiction from inspector to commissioner during the period 2011 - 2016 could be summoned for enquiry.
It all started with Income-Tax sleuths seizing a diary during a raid that took place on July 7, 2016 from one of the illegal gutka factories and godowns in Red Hills.
The diary reportedly contained details of mamool, up to Rs 20 lakh per month, given to certain police officers from 2011 onwards. Stung by allegations that police officers were allowing the running of illegal maava/gutka manufacturing units, the then city police commissioner in December 2016 had written to the home secretary to initiate a probe by an independent agency to know the possible extent of the involvement of officers in the scam.
George wanted a probe because it would bring out the involvement of officers and will also clear the names of officers who were not a part of the scam. George, in his letter, had said that nearly 30 officers, from inspector to commissioner, were in charge of Red Hills in the said period, more than half of whom are IPS officials.
In the letter, George offered to submit to the probe himself along with the other three commissioners who served between 2011 and 2016. During that period, there were 6 inspectors at the Red Hills police station, 3 assistant commissioners, 6 deputy commissioners, 5 joint commissioners, 6 additional commissioners and 4 commissioners in the city, who served at senior level supervising the Red Hills police station also.
