CHENNAI: Two days after the Central Bureau of Investigation raids on his residence, former Chennai Police Commissioner S George on Friday indirectly acknowledged the gutka scam, but rejected allegations of receiving kickbacks from the gutka manufacturer.
“There was a gutka scam. There was some illegal activity going on and how do you expect the Commissioner to know what happens in all 300 police stations?,” said George while pointing out the failure of his junior officials in the Chennai police crime branch to bring the issue to his notice. “Entry in the diary of the gutka manufacturer AV Madhava Rao listing out the payment of Rs 15 lakh for Christmas to a former Commissioner of Police is based on someone’s statement.
Why should an ex-Commissioner be paid any money?” George said during a hurriedly-convened press conference at his residence on Friday. This comes after the CBI has made first breakthrough in the case by arresting five persons after carrying out raids in the house of George, DGP T K Rajendran, TN Health and Family Welfare Minister C Vijaya Baskar, gutka manufacturer Madhav Rao and several state and Central government officials in TN, Puducherry, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
Health min meets CM
Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar on Friday met CM Edappadi K Palaniswami at his residence. The meeting lasted for around 20 minutes. The meeting assumes significance as it took place after the CBI raided his residence over the gutka scam. Vijaya Baskar reportedly put forth his points of view to the CM about the raids.
Stating that he was not the Police Commissioner during the dates mentioned in the dairy of the gutka manufacturer, wherein it was alleged that money was paid to police officials and politicians, former Chennai Police Commissioner S George also said he was not casting aspersions on the Commissioners who had succeeded him.
The former city police chief said someone might have collected the money from the gutka manufacturer, falsely saying that it was for him (George) and entries might have been made in the diary. George said that at the time when the scam surfaced, it was blown out of proportion to prevent him and Rajendran from becoming the Director-General of Police.
He also said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was carrying out a probe based on entries made by a gutka manufacturer.
To a query on the CBI raids at his home, the former commissioner said that the Central Bureau of Investigation took only the sale deed of his plot bought from the state housing board, certain lease documents and insurance policies.
He also claimed he held a preliminary inquiry about the gutka scam and had written a letter to the state government to conduct a probe citing the rumours of police officials being involved in the scam.
“As the allegations were against the Commissioner of Police, it was not possible for him to order a probe but there were several agencies that could have been entrusted with the task,” he said.
On Thursday, the Central Bureau of Investigation officials had arrested five persons - three promoters of gutka manufacturing company Jayam Industries, Rao, Uma Shankar Gupta and Srinivas Rao, Food Safety Department official Senthil Murugan and Central Excise Superintendent N K Pandian.