Govt not keen on CBI probe into hooch tragedy to save DMK men: BJP tells HC
The petitioners who moved the Public Interest litigations seeking a CBI probe into the hooch tragedy placed their arguments before the first division bench of Acting Chief Justice D Krishnakumar and Justice PB Balaji.
CHENNAI: The BJP has submitted before the Madras High Court that the State government is afraid of transferring the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy case to CBI as DMK party members are involved in the crime.
The petitioners who moved the Public Interest litigations seeking a CBI probe into the hooch tragedy placed their arguments before the first division bench of Acting Chief Justice D Krishnakumar and Justice PB Balaji.
Advocate Elephant Rajendran, who represented BJP, contended that without the involvement of local politicians and police, the criminals couldn't have had access to source methanol for making the arrack. He also cited several judgments of the Supreme Court and submitted that if any such involvement of vested interests is suspected, the investigation must be transferred to the CBI.
The advocate wondered how the key accused Kannukutty was in the illicit arrack business for more than 20 years. Without the nexus of police and politicians it is impossible to carry out such an illicit activity for two decades, he argued. The DMK government isn’t showing interest to transfer the case to CBI only to protect party members, he argued.
Rajendran also submitted that since the State granted Rs 10 lakh as ex gratia to the victim's family they haven't come forward to file a complaint about hooch sales in Kallakurichi, he said before the court. If this trend continues the death toll will increase in future, he added.
Senior counsel NL Rajah, who appeared for the PMK, wondered if the police investigation is on the right track as claimed by the State. He questioned why nine officers including the Kallakurichi Superintendent of Police were suspended.
This one fact is sufficient to transfer the investigation from the State police to the CBI or special investigation team, he added.
After the submissions, the bench posted the matter to September 12 for the State's reply.
A batch of petitions moved by AIADMK advocate IS Inbadurai, PMK advocate K Balu, AIADMK former MLA A Sridharan, BJP advocate Mohandas and DMDK former legislator Parthasarathy seeking to transfer the probe from the State agency to CBI for speedy and fair investigation are before the HC.