Gutkha scam: Stalin seeks sacking of Minister, DGP
Chennai, Sep 7 : DMK President M.K. Stalin on Friday expressed shock that no action has been taken against Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Minister C. Vijaya Baskar and DGP T.K. Rajendran after CBI raids related to the gutkha scam and again demanded their sacking as well as arrest.
Stalin said he was shocked over the "inaction" of the Tamil Nadu government and Governor Banwarilal Purohit in moving against the two.
It is shocking that even after the CBI raids at the residences of Baskar and Rajendran the government had not dismissed them and even the Governor had not taken any action, he said in a statement here.
The DMK leader said it was not clear why Baskar and Rajendran, who are accused of accepting bribes from a gutka manufacturer, have not been arrested yet while bribe-giver gutkha manufacturer A.V. Mahdava Rao, intermediary and government officials were arrested by CBI on Thursday.
On Septembr 5, the Central Bureau of Investigation raided the houses of Baskar, Rajendran, gutkha manufacturer Rao and several state and central government officials in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh as a part of investigating the alleged payment and receipt of bribes.
Stalin said that as per a diary noting by Rao a bribe of Rs 60 lakh was allegedly paid on April 21, May 20 and June 20 in 2016 to 'CP'.
He alleged that Rao told Income Tax officials that 'CP' stood for Commissioner of Police.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly said that it was Rajendran who was then the Commissioner of Police in Chennai.
Stalin said that another diary noting mentioned Rs 56 lakh paid to 'HM' between April 1, 2016 and June 15, 2016 and as per Rao 'HM' means Health Minister.
Citing other diary entries, Stalin said Rs 20 lakh was given to a Joint Police Commissioner on November 4, 2015, December 10, 2015 and Jauary 2, 2016.
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BJP councillor dies by suicide after being threatened by youths following party's bypoll win
Agartala (PTI): A BJP councillor of Dharmanagar Municipal Council (DMC) in North Tripura died by suicide on Tuesday after he was allegedly threatened and humiliated by a group of youth following the saffron party's victory in the Dharmanagar bypoll, police said.
Rahul Kishore Roy, who was also the BJP's Yuva Morcha mandal president, took the extreme step a day after BJP candidate Jahar Chakraborti won the bypoll for the Dharmagar Assembly constituency by a massive margin.
Chief Minister Manik Saha expressed shock over the youth leader's death and assured an impartial inquiry into the allegations brought by the deceased’s wife, Ananya Bhattacharjee.
"I am shocked by the untimely death of Rahul Kishore Roy. May his soul rest in peace, and also offer my sympathy to the bereaved family. I also assured that an impartial inquiry will be conducted following the complaint of the deceased's wife", the CM wrote on Facebook.
Roy's wife has lodged a complaint with the local police station, holding seven persons responsible for her husband's death.
"Soon after the announcement of the results of the bypoll to the Dharmagnar Assembly bypoll, six to seven youths attacked our residence at Chandrapur at 3 pm and started hurling abuses at my husband. They also assaulted me to hand over my husband to them," she stated in the complaint.
Ananya said, "The same gang returned late at night again, attacked our house and hurled two or three bombs. They also threatened to eliminate my husband whenever he is found at Dharmanagar."
Deeply upset by the attacks and threats, my husband committed suicide by hanging from the ceiling early Tuesday morning. I urge the Officer in Charge (OC), Dharmanagar police station, to investigate against these people for justice, she said.
"Based on a specific complaint, we have registered a case, and an investigation is underway. No one has been arrested yet," SP, North Tripura, Avinash Kumar Rai said.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
