CBI raids homes of Tamil Nadu DGP, health minister

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched simultaneous searches on the residences of Tamil Nadu Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar, Director General of Police T.K. Rajendran, former State Minister B.V. Ramana and others in connection with the sensational gutkha scam here on Wednesday.

According to the sources, The Searches are also on in the residence of former Chennai Police Commissioner S. George.

Special teams comprising officials of the agency’s Anti Corruption-III Unit from New Delhi commenced the simultaneous searches early morning.

This is the first time the CBI is conducting searches on the residence of a DGP/Head of the Police Force in the State.

Searches are also under way against an IRS (Customs) officer and certain officials of the Food Safety and Sales Tax departments in Chennai, according to sources.

The scam came to light on July 8, 2017, when income tax sleuths raided the godown, offices and residences of a pan masala and gutka (a concoction of tobacco and pan masala) manufacturer in Tamil Nadu, who had been facing charges of tax evasion to the tune of Rs 250 crore.