DMK regime asks Guv Ravi to give nod to prosecute former AIADMK ministers

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi should not delay any further his sanction to prosecute former Ministers in the previous AIADMK regime and clear the 13 Bills pending with him for his assent, the State government urged Raj Bhavan on Tuesday.

Writing to Ravi, Tamil Nadu Law Minister S Regupathy said no further steps could be taken in the case involving the Gutkha scam since no reply has been received from the Raj Bhavan on CBI's request for sanction to prosecute C Vijayabaskar and B V Ramana, former Ministers in the AIADMK regime (2016-21).

On September 12, 2022, the CBI's plea for sanction was forwarded to the Governor by the state Cabinet. The central agency is probing the scam in which bribes were allegedly paid by the Gutkha firms. Vijayabaskar and Ramana were among the accused.

The TN Law Minister said similarly, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) sought sanction to prosecute KC Veeramani and M R Vijayabaskar, also former Ministers in the AIADMK government. The matter relates to corruption allegations.

Allowing the DVAC request, the State Cabinet, on September 12, 2022 and May 15, 2023 had forwarded letters seeking sanction clearance.

An official release said Regupathy pointed out in his letter that "Governor Ravi has so far not given prosecution sanction --in any cases involving graft allegations against former AIADMK Ministers-- to facilitate commencement of trial."

Besides the issue of pending prosecution sanction, 13 Bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly were pending with Raj Bhavan for the Governor's assent. Of these, two Bills were pending for over three years, the Minister said apparently indicating that these belonged to the AIADMK era.

Hence, Ravi should pay special attention to the pending files seeking sanction and clearance for Bills passed by the Assembly, the Law Minister requested.

Following Ravi's backtracked move to dismiss Minister V Senthil Balaji, Chief Minister M K Stalin, in his letter to the Governor had pointed out that sanction has not been given yet by Raj Bhavan to prosecute former AIADMK Ministers. Balaji, arrested last month by the Enforcement Directorate in the cash for jobs scam, is continuing in the TN Cabinet as a Minister without portfolio.