Ex-ministers, ex-DGPs appear in gutka case

Chennai: After multiple missed appearances, former Tamil Nadu ministers and retired senior police officers linked to the gutka scam finally appeared in court on Monday.Former AIADMK ministers C Vijayabaskar and B V Ramana, along with former Director Generals of Police T K Rajendran and S George, attended the special court for criminal cases involving elected MPs and MLAs of Tamil Nadu. The court had previously heard six of the 27 accused in the case and summoned others for allegedly accepting bribes worth Rs 39.9 crore to facilitate the storage, transport, and sale of gutka in Chennai.During Monday's hearing, the prosecution informed the court that the chargesheet was still being finalised. Acknowledging this, the court adjourned the case to the fourth week of September.The scam was uncovered in 2017 when a diary seized during CBI raids on a gutka manufacturer's premises revealed the involvement of several high-profile figures, including former health minister Vijayabaskar. The documents pointed to the involvement of officials from the Greater Chennai Corporation, Food Safety Department, and Commercial Taxes wing, highlighting the deep-rooted corruption within these departments.Initially investigated by the CBI, the case was transferred to the Tamil Nadu police in March 2018 following Madras High Court orders. Earlier this year, it was moved from city CBI courts to the special court designated for MLA and MP cases in July.