Gutka scam in Tamil Nadu: Here's what has happened so far

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is carrying out searches across Tamil Nadu in connection with the gutka scam. Residential premises of many state government officials, including top police officials, as well as the health minister have been scanned by the agency as part of its probe.

The case pertains to illegal sale of gutka, a concoction of tobacco and 'pan masala' which was banned in Tamil Nadu in 2013, by Jayam Industries. It came to light on July 8, 2017, when income tax sleuths raided the godown, offices and residences of Tamil Nadu-based tobacco businessmen over tax evasion to the tune of Rs 250 crore.

During the raids, the department seized a diary containing names of those who had been allegedly paid by the gutka manufacturers. The list reportedly included names of politicians and senior police officers.

The case was sent to the CBI by the Madras High Court in April this year on the plea of DMK legislator J Anbazhagan. In May, the agency had registered an FIR against unidentified officials of the Tamil Nadu government, Central Excise Department and the Food Safety Department.

Nearly three months after registering an FIR, the CBI begun its raids. On September 5, the agency officials raided 40 places across the state, including the premises of state Health Minister C Vijayabaskar and state Director General of Police (DGP) TK Rajendran.

This is perhaps for the first time that the CBI has raided a serving police chief of a state. For Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, it was a double whammy as he is already under the scanner of the Income Tax Department, which raided his premises last year.

"The places searched were residential premises of the promoters/directors of the company and other public servants including officials of Sales Tax Department, Customs and Central Excise, Food Safety and Drug Administration Department and jurisdictional police officials," a CBI spokesperson told news agency PTI.

As news about the raids at Vijayabaskar and Rajendran’s place spread, the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and the CPI (M) sought their resignations or the state governor's intervention to sack them.