MADURAI: Hearing a batch of petitions filed by three Tasmac employees who were suspended for giving media interviews alleging inaction on their corruption complaint against a district manager, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court observed that “there is something wrong in the department (Tasmac)”.
“The Tasmac is run by the government in order to prevent casualties on account of illicit arrack and it should not allow any corruption in the department (corporation). The department (corporation) has to realise its mistake,” Justice B Pugalendhi said. He also noted that the petitioners’ complaint was not properly addressed by Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac ).
The petitioners – K Mayakannan, S Murugan and V Ramasamy – were working as salesmen in Tasmac outlets. They filed the petitions challenging the suspension orders issued to them in August 2022 for the interviews given by them to two TV channels, claiming their then district manager (Madurai South) Rajeswari, along with a supervisor (Selvam), was collecting ‘mamool’ from all Tasmac retail shops under her control and indulging in several other malpractices.
Though they had lodged a complaint before the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption in this regard and the complaint was forwarded to the Tasmac managing director in December 2021, an inquiry was ordered by the latter only four months later, they alleged.
Based on this, the senior regional manager conducted an inquiry in May 2022, during which the petitioners also submitted an audio recording of an alleged conversation between Rajeswari and Selvam. But claiming no action was taken on their complaint, the petitioners spoke to the media about these issues in August 2022 and faced suspension the same month.
Rajeswari was also transferred to her parent department the following month. A few days later, the inquiry was closed by citing Selvam’s statement that the voice in the audio wasn’t his.
Justice Pugalendhi observed that the petitioners had only ventilated their grievance before the media, but the same cannot be accepted as it is in violation of the circular on Employees Code of Conduct issued by the corporation in 2019.
However, considering the manner in which the issue was handled, he disposed of the petitions by setting aside the suspension orders with liberty to the corporation to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the petitioners.