Highways contract: DVAC rapped for not booking EPS

Justice A D Jagadish Chandira, before whom the plea came up on Friday, on offering the above direction, posted the case for further hearing to September 4.

Earlier, Advocate General Vijay Narayan, on appearing for the State, contended that based on the complaint received on June 22, a preliminary enquiry has commenced and that the investigation is in progress.

To this, senior counsel N R Elango, appearing for the DMK, contended that as per Supreme directions, such preliminary probe should be completed within seven days and the main probe completed within two months and that period had come to an end on August 22.

Concurring with this, the Judge asked the Advocate General as to why the DVAC had failed to even register a case, when it ought to have completed the probe within two months.

At one stage, when the Advocate General pointed out that the allegations in affidavit were vague and that all the projects cited were being funded by the World Bank and hence is being duly monitored by it, DMK’s counsel sought to know as to whether the Advocate General is appearing for the Chief Minister or the DVAC.

DMK’s organising secretary R S Bharathi has contended that the Chief Minister, who is also holding the portfolio of Highways and Minor Ports, had abused his power in the allocation of five highway laying and maintenance projects worth Rs 3,500 crore to firms owned by his relatives and benamis.

He said Palaniswami being a Government servant, entered into a criminal conspiracy with his relatives and benamis and thereby committed criminal misconduct and obtained undue pecuniary advantage from himself and thus committed offences punishable under IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.

Although a complaint was lodged on June 13, the DVAC has neither registered a case nor started enquiring into the allegations, the plea said.