HC declines to stay extension of service given to DGP

A division bench of the court’s Madurai bench, comprising Justices K K Sasidharan and P D Audikesavalu, posted the petition filed by an advocate for further hearing to January 21. The bench directed the state and Centre to reply to the petitioner’s submissions.

The bench declined to grant stay to the extension given to the DGP on the ground that various departments were involved in the case.

On September 5, the CBI had carried out searches at around 40 locations in Tamil Nadu, including at the residences of Health Minister C Vijayabaskar and Rajendran in connection with the Gutka scam.

The scam came to light on July 8, 2017, when Income Tax sleuths raided a godown, offices and residences of a pan masala and gutka (a concoction of tobacco and pan masala) manufacturer in Tamil Nadu, who had been facing charges of tax evasion to the tune of Rs 250 crore.

The manufacture, storage and sale of the chewable forms of tobacco, including gutka and pan masala were banned by the Tamil Nadu government in 2013.

During the raids, the I-T department had seized a diary containing names of those who had been allegedly paid by the gutka manufacturers. The case was sent to the CBI by the Madras High Court in April this year on a DMK leader’s plea.