Chennai: A special team of the CBI probing the multi-crore gutka scam in Tamil Nadu on Saturday 'examined' health minister C. Vijayabaskar and former state minister B V Ramana for several hours at the agency office in Nungambakkam, sources said here.
They said Vijayabaskar arrived at the CBI office in Shastri Bhavan through its backdoor on College Road and was with the sleuths for about six hours answering their "intensive and extensive questions" on the gutka case, particularly relating to the alleged entries in the diary of the gutka king Madhav Rao in which his (Vijayabaskar) name had figured among the beneficiaries.
They said the questioning of ex-minister Ramana lasted much longer and was based on the evidence gathered during the CBI raid on his house and other premises. He was the commercial taxes minister during the period of the scam.
Madhav Rao's diary had allegedly revealed the names of some political bigwigs as well as senior police and state officials as recipients of bribes for facilitating the sale of the banned gutka in the state.
The CBI had summoned Vijayabaskar for questioning even earlier but the minister sought time and accordingly, he was asked to appear now on Saturday (December 15).
The CBI had sent the summons to Vijayabaskar, as well as former minister B V Ramana, last week asking them to appear before its officers on Saturday. The agency has quizzed Vijayabaskar's aide Saravanan for several hours over two days and obtained a statement that also formed the basis for the minister's quizzing now, sources said.
It is said the special team of the CBI probing the gutka scam has been camping in Chennai for about 10 days preparing the list of persons to be quizzed and the line of probe, mostly based on the Madhav Rao diary entries and also the documents seized during the income-tax raids on his godown in June 2017 and also the seizures of documents in the agency raids last September.
The CBI had taken over the gutka probe from the state directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC) under the orders of the Madras High Court.
