CHENNAI: The state government is preventing a CBI probe into the Kallakurichi hooch deaths to shield the ruling party men involved in the tragedy, the counsel for a PIL petitioner told the Madras High Court on Tuesday.
Presenting his arguments before the first bench of Acting Chief Justice D Krishnakumar and Justice PB Balaji , advocate ‘Elephant’ G Rajendran said illicit brew cannot be manufactured and sold without the collusion of local politicians and police officers.
Appearing on behalf of A Mohandoss, one of the petitioners seeking CBI probe into the tragedy, asked why the state can’t order a CBI probe when it readily handed over the investigations of the Coimbatore car blast to a central agency.
“We seek CBI probe only for unearthing the truth behind the illicit liquor business,” Rajendran said.
Senior counsel NL Rajah, in his submissions, stressed that the CBI probe was sought with the aim of ensuring such hooch deaths do not recur. Citing the Marakkanam incident, he said a similar tragedy had occurred at Kallakurichi within a year. He added that nobody approached the court in 2023 because people trusted the state agency, but their faith has been dashed now.
Comparing the ongoing investigation to a ‘dark tunnel’, the counsel said neither the petitioners nor the public know whether the probe by CB-CID is on the right track or not.