CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has ordered a CBI probe into alleged fabrication of fake no objection certificates issued in the name of Greater Chennai Police Commissioner and other authorities concerned elsewhere, including Erode and Dindigul, for obtaining licence for running petroleum retail outlets. The matter was under investigation by the CB-CID of Tamil Nadu police, but the court expressed shock and dismay over the shoddy probe.
The first bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan recently passed the orders transferring the probe to the CBI on a petition filed by advocate VBR Menon who had sought cancellation of the licence obtained by using fake no objection certificates, and criminal action against the Joint Chief Controller of Explosives, IOCL, BPCL, HPCL and Nayara Energy Limited.
Pointing out that the CB-CID is not holding the probe in proper direction, the bench said, “We are therefore constrained to draw an inference that the investigation is not fair and independent.”