CHENNAI: Not satisfied with the progress made by the CB-CID probing irregularities in land acquisition for the Chennai-Bengaluru expressway, the Madras High Court warned of transferring the investigation to a central agency, on Monday.
Passing an interim order on the case, Justice SM Subramaniam said, “The progress made in the investigation and the manner of investigation by the police officials are not satisfactory. When a huge amount of public money has been involved, the authorities are expected to be more sensitive and in the event of a breach in future, this court has no option but to consider handing over the case to a central agency.”
The judge noted that only after flogging by the court, the investigation agency converted the charges against some of the accused under the Prevention of Corruption Act. “Under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the competent authorities are empowered to attach the properties by way of an interim measure and no such progress has taken place,” he said. The case pertains to siphoning crores by way of disbursal of compensation for OSR land acquired for the expressway in Sriperumbudur Taluk of Kancheepuram district.