MADURAI: Stating that the Madurai passport scam case, wherein Indian passports were illegally issued to many Sri Lankan and Indian nationals using forged documents, has serious national security implications, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, on Wednesday, directed the Judicial Magistrate IV of Madurai to expeditiously take cognisance of the final report, which is to be filed by Q Branch CID shortly.
Justice GR Swaminathan issued the direction after pointing out that almost three years have elapsed since the FIR was registered. Though a division bench of the court, in a PIL filed last year seeking CBI probe, had directed the Q Branch to complete investigation within three months (later extended by six months), final report is yet to be filed in the case on the ground that sanction has not been obtained for prosecuting erring officials (passport and police officials).
“The case has serious national security implications. It is scandalous that one police station in Madurai has facilitated fraudulent issuance of as many as 54 passports. The corrupt elements must be brought to book at the earliest ,”the judge observed.
Referring to a status report submitted by the Q Branch pursuant to his directions, the judge noted that the Union government has granted sanction in respect of one of its employees and declined for 13, while the State has granted sanction for prosecuting Sivakumar, who was the then Assistant Commissioner of Police,
Intelligence Section, Madurai City. Complimenting BJP State President K Annamalai for bringing up the issue of delay in filing final report in the case, the judge said, “Annamalai has played the role of a watchdog in a democracy. But for him the matter would not have come to light,” the judge said. He also gave a clean chit to the then Madurai Police Commissioner S Davidson Devasirvatham.