Gutka packets hanging from a shopThe High Court of Madras today (26 April) ordered a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into an illegal gutka business with links to ministers and top police officials, reports The Hindu. The bench led by Chief Justice Indira Banerjee issued the order on the basis of two public interest litigtions (PILs) filed.
Among the people who are allegedly involved in the gutka business are incumbent Director General of Police (DGP) T K Rajendran and state health minister C Vijaya Baskar who has been accused of taking bribes to allow the sale of Gutka in the state.
The bench made it clear that it was up to the CBI to unearth the truth and that the order was in no way meant to be a definite conclusion in to the case.
The underground gutkha business is a crime against society and, therefore, we deem it fit to order a CBI probe into the issue.Chief Justice Indira Banerjee
The matter came to light last year when the Income Tax department (I-T department) was investigating suspected bribes of Rs 40 crore paid by one Madhava Rao, a director in a company that manufactures gutka under the brand ‘MDM’. A diary was seized that named Baskar and Rajendran in it.
While Baskar has maintained innocence, claiming he never knew nor met Rao, officials aren’t convinced.
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