Chennai, October 4: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is carrying out raids and searches at locations in Chennai belonging to Senthil Valavaen (IRS) Additional Commissioner, GST Chennai and S Sridhar, the then Assistant Commissioner, System and Central Excise Intelligence, DGCEI. In September also the investigative agency launched a massive search operation in 40 places in Chennai in connection with the scam. Houses of Tamil Nadu DGP TK Rajendran at Mogappair, ex-DGP S George near Maduravoyal, Health Minister C Vijayabaskar and other police officers were searched.

On September 7, the CBI also arrested five people in connection with the case.  Those arrested include promoters of a private gutka company, AV Madhava Rao and Uma Shankar Gupta; food safety and drug administration official P Senthil Murugan; Superintendent of Central Excise Department NK Pandian; and a person named PV Srinivasa Rao.

In August, the agency interrogated manufacturer of MDM brand of gutka and others. The interrogation was carried out by a special team comprising officials from the CBI’s Anti-Corruption (III) Unit, New Delhi. In April, The Madras High Court ordered a CBI probe into the multi-crore gutka scam in which a minister and top state police officers and government officials are alleged to be involved. A diary was also seized which listed alleged bribe payments made to various officials.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 04, 2018 06:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).