TN governor flags legal formalities for nod to prosecute AIADMK ex-ministers

Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan on Thursday contested the claims of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government on the matter of according sanction to prosecute former ministers in the previous All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam regime.

A day after Tamil Nadu law minister S Regupathy wrote to Ravi requesting him that he should 'not delay any further' his sanction to prosecute former AIADMK ministers and clear the 13 Bills pending with him for his assent, the Governor's office reacted.

An official Raj Bhavan release, with a heading 'the facts are as under' said: "With respect to BV Ramanaa @ B Venkat Ramanaa and Dr C Vijaya Baskar, the cases have been investigated by the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and these are under legal examination."

As regards the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption case against KC Veeramani, "the same could not be acted upon due to the fact that the state government has to submit a duly authenticated copy of the investigation report for further action."

The statement said Raj Bhavan has not received any reference or request in respect of MR Vijaya Bhaskar from the state government.

All the persons named in the statement had been ministers in the AIADMK government.

There was no reference in the press release on the pending Bills flagged by the Tamil Nadu government.

The Raj Bhavan's statement referred to 'media reports' on the letter of the law minister on the matter.

On July 5, Regupathy had said no further steps could be taken in the case involving the Gutkha scam since no reply has been received from the Raj Bhavan on CBI's request for sanction to prosecute C Vijayabaskar and BV Ramana.

The DVAC had sought sanction to prosecute KC Veeramani and MR Vijayabhaskar.

Regupathy had further said in his letter that "Governor Ravi has so far not given prosecution sanction -- in any cases involving graft allegations against former AIADMK ministers -- to facilitate commencement of trial."

Following Ravi's backtracked move to dismiss minister V Senthil Balaji, Chief Minister MK Stalin, in his letter to the Governor had said sanction has not been given yet by Raj Bhavan to prosecute former AIADMK ministers.

Balaji, arrested last month by the Enforcement Directorate in the cash for jobs scam, is continuing in the TN Cabinet as a Minister without portfolio.