The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Wednesday refused to share with the complainants a copy of its preliminary inquiry report giving a clean chit to Municipal Administration Minister S.P. Velumani on allegations of irregularities in the award of civil contracts by the Greater Chennai and Coimbatore Corporations.
Appearing before a Division Bench of Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and R. Hemalatha, State Public Prosecutor A. Natarajan said it was sufficient if the DVAC informs the complainants about the reasons for not having found prima facie material warranting registration of a FIR against the Minister.
There was no necessity to share the entire preliminary inquiry report with the complainants, Jayaram Venkatesan of NGO Arappor Iyakkam and DMK MP R.S. Bharathi, he asserted.
On the other hand, advocate R. Neelakandan, representing Mr. Bharathi, said the DVAC was duty bound to share the entire inquiry report with the complainants as per the dictum laid down by the Supreme Court in the famous Lalita Kumari case. He said the complainants had a right to know whether the inquiry was conducted properly.
An advocate representing Mr. Venkatesan’s counsel V. Suresh sought time to file a detailed reply to the submissions made by the State Public Prosecutor and hence, the judges adjourned further hearing on the case, which sought registration of an FIR, to January 18.
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