Petition on probe into TASMAC appointments&transfers dismissed

The Madras High Court today dismissed a petition seeking a police inquiry into appointments and transfers in state-run TASMAC liquor shops by allegedly producing fake recommendation letters in the name of Prohibition and Excise Minister Natham R Viswanathan.
Justice M Venugopal said petitioner B Selvam's charges were vague in nature and he had not made out a prima facie case against the minister.
The petitioner's counsel produced a few transfer orders issued by Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) and claimed that most of them had reference to recommendations made either by the Minister or his Personal Assistant.
Though a complaint was given to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, it had not been registered, Selvam said.

The petitioner said the DVAC manual stipulated conducting a preliminary enquiry immediately on receipt of a complaint and then a detailed probe if they found that there were prima facie materials against the accused.
But in the case of the Minister, no such preliminary enquiry was held, he alleged.

Additional Advocate General K Chellapandian said the DVAC did not register a case since the petitioner himself had accepted that only fake recommendation letters had been issued in the name of the minister.
The DVAC had forwarded the petitioner's complaint to the Managing Director of TASMAC for necessary action.
The AAG said the TASMAC Managing Director had also ordered a departmental inquiry into the issue by the Chief General Manager (Finance).