CHENNAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is to investigate the ‘gutka scam’ under Prevention of Money Laundering Act from Monday.
Official sources told Express that the agency registered a case against Central and state government officials and others in the case on Friday after Central Bureau of Investigation filed an FIR against unknown officials.
The CBI had filed the case on the directive of Madras High Court on April 26, 2018 while disposing of a writ petition filed by a DMK legislator J Anbazhagan. He alleged that gutka, a banned tobacco material, was being manufactured and sold in Tamil Nadu despite a ban.
To a query on how ED took up probe, the sources said that CBI had booked a case against Central Excise, Tamil Nadu government and food safety department officials and private individuals under Section 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy) of IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act. “The scheduled offence booked by CBI also opens the case for investigation into Prevention of Money Laundering,” the official said.
While ED officials said they had already started collecting documents, it is learnt that the probe will commence on Monday.
Sources said they will seek documents also from CBI, Income Tax Department and the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption.