CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has severely criticised the state government for leaving a special investigation team (SIT), set up for probing a gold scam, headless and sought the home secretary to give an explanation on the matter.
The case involves Ruby Royale Jewellers and Bankers, West Mambalam, which allegedly cheated about 3,000 depositors and swindled about 300 kg of gold by luring them to pledge their ornaments.
The SIT was constituted by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the CB-CID as per the earlier orders of the court. SP M Thillai Natarajan had been heading the team but after he was transferred, the team is left headless. When the case came up for hearing recently, Justice K Kumaresh Babu expressed dismay over keeping the head’s post vacant without nominating any officers to lead the SIT.
“This court is unable to appreciate the manner in which the SIT had become hopeless for the reasons best known to the parties,” he remarked.
The judge directed the home secretary to submit an explanation as to why the SIT has been left without a head and directed him to appoint forthwith a responsible officer to the post in consultation with the DGP.
He adjourned the matter to August 7 for further hearing. Advocate Chevanan Mohan represented the Reserve Bank of India, which is one of the respondents in the case.