In a major embarrassment to the Tamil Nadu government, the CBI on Wednesday searched nearly 35 locations in Chennai, Thiruvallur, Thoothukudi, Puducherry, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Guntur, on the alleged involvement of State Health Minister C Vijay Bhaskar and senior police officials in a gutka scam in the State.

CBI officials also searched the premises of TK Rajendran, Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu. This is the first time such a raid has been held on the premises of a serving senior police official.

The search started simultaneously at 7 am at various locations. Media was barred from entry into Bhaskar’s official residence on Greenways Road.

The allegation was that Bhaskar, Rajendran and former Chennai Police Commissioner George facilitated the storage, transportation and sale of the banned commodity in Chennai.

The places searched are 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 & Drug Administration Department and jurisdictional police officials.

The CBI had registered the case on the orders of the Madras High Court on April 26, 2018. The court directed the CBI to conduct investigation into all aspects of the case.

It was alleged that one private company in Tamil Nadu was in the business of manufacturing and sale of gutka and other chewable tobacco products since 2011. Subsequently, production and sale of gutka were banned in May 2013.

During the period when the ban was in force, the promoters/directors of the company allegedly paid bribes to regulatory authorities and continued with the business of manufacturing and selling of gutka products illicitly, the release said.

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