Won’t close Tasmac FIRs, DVAC tells HC

Chennai: DVAC assured the Madras high court on Thursday that FIRs registered against Tasmac personnel would not be closed pending disposal of the PIL seeking the transfer of the probe to the CBI. "I will advise the home secretary not to file a closure report in any of the cases," advocate-general P S Raman said.The submission was made in view of the apprehension raised by vacation bench of Justice G S Swaminathan and Justice V Lakshminarayanan that the present PIL would become infructuous if the FIRs were closed. The court then recorded the submission of the AG and directed DVAC to file status reports of the FIRs in three weeks.The issue pertains to a PIL moved by K Venkatachalapathy, alleging that the irregularities within the state-owned liquor corporation were valued at more than 1,000 crore and wanted the court to order a probe by the central agency. According to the petitioner, the Tamil Nadu govt and Tasmac were creating hindrances for investigating agencies such asthe ED by using the state machinery.He wanted the court to direct the CBI to take cognisance of the alleged scam to effectively weed out all the officials involved and hold them accountable.Relying on several orders passed by the Supreme Court, the petitioner submitted that the apex court emphasised the importance of a fair trial and investigation and the role of the courts in ensuring public confidence. "Assurance of a fair trial is the first imperative of the dispensation of justice and the central criterion for the court to consider whether there is a need for transfer of the probe," he said.