Gutkha scam: CBI raids residences of TN Minister, DGP
Chennai, Sep 5 : The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday raided several places in Tamil Nadu, including the residences of Health and Family Welfare Minister C. Vijayabaskar and Director General of Police (DGP) T.K. Rajendran in connection with a gutkha scam, said a CBI official.
In April, the Madras High Court ordered CBI to probe the multi-crore gutkha scam in which Minister Vijayabaskar, DGP Rajendran and several other top police and other state government officials were alleged to be involved.
The court ordered the CBI probe on a petition filed by DMK legislator J. Anbazhagan.
The case is related to an Income Tax Department raid in the offices, residences and godowns of a gutkha manufacturer in Tamil Nadu in 2016.
A diary was then seized which listed alleged bribe payments made to various officials amounting to about Rs 39.31 crore.
The Tamil Nadu government has banned the manufacture and storage of gutkha -- a tobacco product. However, the product was reportedly available in the market with the alleged connivance of police officers and others.
Several political parties had demanded the CBI probe into the scam but the AIADMK government did not agree.
In June, the Enforcement Directorate registered a money laundering case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against unnamed government officials in Tamil Nadu's gutkha scam based on the first information report (FIR) registered by the CBI in May.
Despite the opposition from the opposition parties Rajendran was given a two year extension in 2018.
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Doctor duped of Rs 8.5 lakh with promise of MPH seat in UK: Udupi police arrest 3
Udupi: Three people were held by the Udupi Town Police on Tuesday for allegedly duping a person of Rs 8.5 lakh by promising a seat for a Master of Public Health (MPH) course in the United Kingdom.
The police have arrested Suman S (24) of Hosanagar in Shivamogga and Suhan Khan (22) and Mohammad Mahaz (23) from Moodbidri, and seized cash of Rs 5 lakh along with an SUV and two mobile phones that were being used by the arrested trio, reports Times of India.
The fraud victim, Santhosh E, who filed the police complaint on January 9, told the police that he had obtained a degree in General Medicine. Hoping to study further in the UK, traveled to Dubai, where he met Aftab and agreed to pay Aftab Rs 18 lakh to get a seat in the UK for a Master’s degree. Santhosh was initially asked by Aftab to pay Rs 8.5 lakh for a confirmation of the seat, but, as the complainant did not have a Non-Resident Account (NRA), Aftab asked him to contact an acquaintance, Suman S in Udupi. During the meeting with Suman near the MTR Hotel in Moodanidambur village in Udupi, Santhosh handed over Rs 8.5 lakh.
After the process, however, Aftab avoided Santhosh’s calls, said the complainant, adding before the police that he had been deceived with the promise of the MPH seat in the UK.
The Udupi Town Police team, led by Inspector Ramachandra Nayak and Sub-inspector Eeranna Shiragumpi, probed the case, along with SIs Puneet Kumar and Bharatesh, among other personnel, and arrested the accused Aftab and Suman. They have also held Mahaz under charge of involvement in the case.
The arrested men have been presented before the court.
