Former Ministers, DGPs appear before court in gutka scam 

Former Tamil Nadu officials face charges in gutka scam case; CBI investigation reveals tax evasion and illegal activities.

Former Ministers C. Vijayabaskar, B.V. Ramana, retired Directors-General of Police T.K. Rajendran, S. George and others on Monday appeared before the Special Court for MLAs and MPs which is hearing the gutka scam case.

The scam came to light on July 8, 2017, when Income Tax sleuths raided the offices and residences of Jayam Industries (now known as Annamalai Industries) over charges of tax evasion of ₹250 crore and seized a diary containing incriminating evidence linked to top officials of the State.

The case gained further prominence after IT sleuths, while surveying former Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence, stumbled upon letters exchanged between the Income Tax Department and top bureaucrats of the State over the case.

The CBI took up the case based on a Madras High Court order on April 26, 2018. The court directed the CBI to probe all aspects of the offence of illegal manufacture, import, supply, distribution and sale of gutka and other forms of chewable tobacco products banned in Tamil Nadu. In the first chargesheet filed in 2018, the CBI charged six accused, including three government officials.

In 2022 November, the CBI filed a supplementary chargesheet against 21 people, including Mr. Vijayabaskar and Mr. Ramana. The chargesheet also includes the names of two former DGP-rank officials- George and Rajendran.

On Monday, two former ministers, two former officers and 16 others appeared before the special judge Sanjay Baba in the Singaravelar Maligai premises. As the copies of chargesheet were not ready, the Judge directed them to appear on September 23 and adjourned the matter.