Chennai: The Central Bureau of Investigation has stepped up its probe in the gutka scam and has decided to summon top officials in the Tamilnadu Police Department for direct questioning.
CBI officials from Delhi who have set up camp in the State for the ongoing investigation have reportedly unearthed some more names in the list of people allegedly bribed by gutka manufacturer A V Madhav Rao for allowing the sale of banned gutka on the sly in Tamilnadu. The next round of investigations will begin in January, sources said.
The CBI earlier this month questioned Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar, former Minister B V Ramana and others in connection with the alleged gutka scam in the State.
On 20 December, the Madras High Court ordered notice to the Tamilnadu government on a PIL seeking to restrain DGP T K Rajendran from continuing in the post in view of bribery allegations against him in the gutka scam.
Also, criticising the ‘slow pace of the investigation’, the Leader of Opposition and DMK president, MK Stalin raised doubts about the way the CBI probing the case on 21 December.
In a statement, Stalin said the CBI, after arresting some people who had allegedly given money to Vijaya Baskar and Rajendran, had failed to act against these two. Governor Banwarilal Purohit should immediately dismiss the Minister and take action against the DGP, he said.
Sources say that the CBI has stepped up investigation in the case based on new information unearthed during the last investigations and interrogations. The agency, it is learnt, has added more names to the list of people who may have had connections in the scam.
2 arrested
Meanwhile, there seems to be no slowdown in the sale of gutka in Tamilnadu as more gutka is being continually smuggled into the State almost every day.
Today, around 50 kg gutka was seized and two persons were arrested in a train bound for Chennai from Bengaluru. Police are questioning Sasi Kumar (38) and Suresh Kumar (41) who were peddling gutka as to whom they are working for and as to the extent of network of the underground gutka supply chain.