Recruitment Scam: Chargesheet against Balaji, 46 others

The Chennai police have filed a chargesheet against V Senthil Balaji - former AIADMK Transport Minister and present DMK candidate from Karur constituency - and 46 others, including senior retired and serving officers of various Transport Corporations in connection with a recruitment scam that rocked the State five years ago. The chargesheet was filed at the metropolitan magistrate court for CCB and CB-CID cases in Egmore, on Thursday, sources said. 

Of the 47 accused cited by Chennai city crime branch job fraud wing, 33 suspects got appointment in various Transport Corporations including MTC, Chennai, after paying bribe to the then minister through his aides in 2014-15. 

The CCB was asked to reinvestigate the recruitment scam by the HC in connection with the recruitment for the post of reserve crew drivers, conductors, Junior Trades Men, Junior Assistant (JA), Junior Engineer (JE) and Assistant Engineer (AE) in all the Transport Corporations. In the said appointments, various officials colluded with Balaji and his close associates over appointment of candidates and abused their official positions. Sources said that the appointment orders were not originally generated based on the merit list on January 1, 2015, but only based on the list fraudulently furnished by Balaji, cited as accused number one. 

His aides B Shanmugam and M Karthikeyan acted on his behalf and collected lakhs of rupees from the candidates. Sources noted that Balaji being a Minister, conspired together with the MDs, , Appointing Authorities and Personnel Section Officers of the Transport Corporations to issue appointment orders for the candidates. Other officers cited in the chargesheet are D Alfred Thinakaran, retired MD, MTC, V Varadrajan, retired JMD, MTC, S Arun Ravindra Daniel, former senior deputy manager (HR) MTC, G Ganesan, suspended MD, MTC. 

I-T searches 6 locations in Karur 

Sleuths from the Income Tax Department searched six locations, including textile production units and financial firms, in Karur. Sources said the team acted on inputs regarding huge transations of money at these units and five of these were sealed. However, officials remained tightlipped on whether these firms had a connection with AIADMK candidate MR Vijaya Baskar or DMK candidate V Senthil Balaji.