DMK president M.K. Stalin on Wednesday questioned the reason behind the delay in filing the final charge-sheet in the gutkha scam and wondered why the CBI was moving at a snail’s pace even though there were tonnes of evidence in the case.
In a statement, he said the CBI, which would proceed with speed even if there was an iota of evidence, continued to maintain silence. “Who has prevented the CBI from moving ahead with filing the final chargesheet?” he asked.
Mr. Stalin questioned the alliance between Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and the BJP government at the Centre and alleged that there was a nexus in protecting those involved in the gutkha scam.
“What is the power that prevents the CBI from proceeding against State Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar and former DGP Rajendran? The people of the country should know the secret nexus between the AIADMK and the BJP government and the doubts in their minds should be clarified. Otherwise, these doubts will remain in the minds of the people as facts,” he said.
Pointing out that the files handed over to the Chief Secretary in connection with the case had disappeared and Additional DGP Manjunatha, who investigated the case, had been transferred, Mr. Stalin said even IAS officer V.K. Jeyakodi, who probed the case, was transferred after five months.
He said when the Madras High Court ordered a CBI inquiry into the scam, a lower-level government employee Sivakumar filed a petition against it in the Supreme Court.
“But the Supreme Court granted permission for a CBI inquiry. The government delayed 20 months for sanctioning permission to proceed against government employees Sivakumar and Senthil Murugan. However, it turned a blind eye to the involvement of Mr. Vijayabaskar and Mr. Rajendran,” Mr. Stalin alleged.
