Chennai: The Chennai High Court has issued an order to file a chargesheet in the tender malpractice case against former minister SP Velumani.
SP Velumani was the Minister of Home Affairs in the Corporation and Municipalities under the control of the Home Department.
DMK organization secretary RS Bharathi had filed a case in the Chennai High Court alleging that the contracts were given to persons who showed their hands and that contracts worth crores of rupees were illegally awarded to the companies of the minister’s brothers, close relatives, friends and proxies.
RS Bharathi
Similarly, the Crusades Movement was also suing SP Velumani … In the case of Jayaram Venkatesh of the Crusades Movement, he lodged a complaint with the CBI and the Tamil Nadu Anti-Corruption Department on September 12, 2018, including the erection of perimeter walls at various places in the Corporation of Coimbatore from June 2014 to November 2015, including the installation of drinking water pipes. There were reports of abuse …
Tender allotment
In the reply petition filed by Velumani in these cases, he had stated that as a Minister he had only taken policy decisions and the Corporation would not interfere in tender procedures. Further, he had said in his reply petition that those who were not involved in any way in the tender were continuing the case and could not resume the trial of the tender allotment case which had ended due to the changed political situation.
Pending case
When the cases came up for hearing last time before Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee in the Adigesavalu session, the Attorney General, R. Shanmugasundar, appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, argued that the DMK could close the case to continue the war without further ado as the case has been registered against former minister Velumani.
Crusade Movement
F.I.R. The DMK is not the only one to file a case against Velumani, as they may have closed their case as it has been registered. A special investigative committee should be set up to prosecute the accomplices and beneficiaries. It was argued on behalf of the crusade movement that the court could decide further.
Investigation report
Velumani said he was ready to face the case on his behalf, while providing documents relating to the basis on which the case against him was registered. The cases came up for hearing again today. At that time, the Attorney General Shanmugasundar was prosecuting the case. An inquiry is also underway against the concerned officials, who are asking for a preliminary investigation report, which can be obtained by filing a petition in the lower court, he said.
Preliminary investigation
On behalf of Velumani, it was argued that there is a right to obtain an initial inquiry report.
Advocate Suresh, appearing for the Crusades Movement, had already filed a petition protesting the termination of the case under the previous regime, which is already against two Central Audit Department reports, so he should not be given the preliminary inquiry report conducted during the last regime.
Lower court
After hearing arguments from both sides, the judges ordered that the chargesheet be filed within ten weeks of the trial. He concluded the case by saying that if the preliminary investigation report conducted under the previous regime was included in the case, it could be obtained by approaching the lower court.
