Chennai: In a major development in the case against alleged irregularities in Greater Muncipal Corporation and Coimbatore Corporation allegedly by Municipal Administration and Rural Development Minister S.P. Velumani, the Madras High Court is considering a fresh probe of the car through an 'independent agency'.
Chennai: In a major development in the case against alleged irregularities in Greater Muncipal Corporation and Coimbatore Corporation allegedly by Municipal Administration and Rural Development Minister S.P. Velumani, the Madras High Court is considering a fresh probe of the car through an 'independent agency'.
If they were not satisfied with the preliminary inquiry conducted by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), Justices M.M. Sundresh and R. Hemalatha said they might order a fresh probe by an independent agency.
It may be noted that the DVAC had already filed a comprehensive report, finding no material to proceed against the Minister against complaints of irregularities raised by Jayaram Venkatesan of NGO Arappor Iyakkam and DMK MP R.S. Bharathi.
The judges further have asked advocates V. Suresh and E. Raj Thilak, representing the complainants to make their submissions, on Monday, regarding the possibility of transferring the same complaints lodged with the DVAC in 2018, to a “independent agency” for a fresh preliminary probe.
Meanwhile, the advocates have reportedly told the court that if it was dissatisfied with the DVAC’s preliminary inquiry report and sought an order to the DVAC to register a FIR and then transfer the case to an independent agency, like CBI. The complainants have sought a direction to the DVAC to register a FIR against the Minister and carry a thorough probe.
Responding to their request to register an FIR against the Minister by DVAC, the Judges said they may instead order another preliminary inquiry by an independent agency.
Earlier in January, investigating officer R. Ponni, Superintendent of Police, DVAC who was appointed by the court had conducted the preliminary inquiry and filed a report to the DVAC Director Vijay Kumar on December 18, 2019. The report concluded that no cognisable offence had been made out in the complaint warranting registration of a FIR.
On January 13, the report was approved by the Director and forwarded to Vigilance Commissioner, Vijayakumar who endorsed the report and forwarded the same to the State government.
After examining the reports, the government took a decision to drop all further proceedings. Following which a senior judge in the Bench questioned how the DVAC forwarded the report to the government without court’s approval. Additionally, he also sought explantion on why the government not inform the court about its decision when the case filed by the NGO was taken up for hearing on January 23.
As the government has dropped the proceedings, Advocate General Vijay Narayan representing the state urged the court to close pending writ petition and said that the complainant would have to now challenge the government’s decision, hence the case need not be kept pending.
Responding to it, V. Suresh, representing the complainants took strong exception to it and obtained time till March 13 for filing a counter affidavit to the government’s plea to close the case. He also stated that it has been his consistent argument that the Minister, Corporation officials as well as the DVAC seluths had colluded with each other and insisted a special investigation team monitored by the court to bring out the truth.
If they were not satisfied with the preliminary inquiry conducted by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), Justices M.M. Sundresh and R. Hemalatha said they might order a fresh probe by an independent agency.
It may be noted that the DVAC had already filed a comprehensive report, finding no material to proceed against the Minister against complaints of irregularities raised by Jayaram Venkatesan of NGO Arappor Iyakkam and DMK MP R.S. Bharathi.
The judges further have asked advocates V. Suresh and E. Raj Thilak, representing the complainants to make their submissions, on Monday, regarding the possibility of transferring the same complaints lodged with the DVAC in 2018, to a “independent agency” for a fresh preliminary probe.
Meanwhile, the advocates have reportedly told the court that if it was dissatisfied with the DVAC’s preliminary inquiry report and sought an order to the DVAC to register a FIR and then transfer the case to an independent agency, like CBI. The complainants have sought a direction to the DVAC to register a FIR against the Minister and carry a thorough probe.
Responding to their request to register an FIR against the Minister by DVAC, the Judges said they may instead order another preliminary inquiry by an independent agency.
Earlier in January, investigating officer R. Ponni, Superintendent of Police, DVAC who was appointed by the court had conducted the preliminary inquiry and filed a report to the DVAC Director Vijay Kumar on December 18, 2019. The report concluded that no cognisable offence had been made out in the complaint warranting registration of a FIR.
On January 13, the report was approved by the Director and forwarded to Vigilance Commissioner, Vijayakumar who endorsed the report and forwarded the same to the State government.
After examining the reports, the government took a decision to drop all further proceedings. Following which a senior judge in the Bench questioned how the DVAC forwarded the report to the government without court’s approval. Additionally, he also sought explantion on why the government not inform the court about its decision when the case filed by the NGO was taken up for hearing on January 23.
As the government has dropped the proceedings, Advocate General Vijay Narayan representing the state urged the court to close pending writ petition and said that the complainant would have to now challenge the government’s decision, hence the case need not be kept pending.
Responding to it, V. Suresh, representing the complainants took strong exception to it and obtained time till March 13 for filing a counter affidavit to the government’s plea to close the case. He also stated that it has been his consistent argument that the Minister, Corporation officials as well as the DVAC seluths had colluded with each other and insisted a special investigation team monitored by the court to bring out the truth.