Nearly 19 years after the CB-CID registered a case of alleged corruption against two IAS officers, one of whom has since retired, the accused have moved the Madras High Court seeking to quash the proceedings pending against them before the X Additional Special Judge, Chennai.
The petitions have been filed by Jasbir Singh Bajaj, Principal Resident Commissioner, Tamil Nadu House, New Delhi, and K. Dheenadayalan (72), a former Commissioner of Handlooms and Textiles.
In the petition, Mr. Bajaj said the prosecution case was that the then Handlooms Secretary filed a complaint with the CB-CID, Chennai, alleging that he, as the then Managing Director, Cooptex, and others had conspired in the inter-State purchase of silk saris during 1995-96 by Cooptex from 14 organisations. During the procurement, the public servants obtained pecuniary advantage and caused a loss of nearly Rs.1.11 crore to Cooptex, it was alleged.
The complaint was registered in October 1996. He submitted that the charge-sheet in the case had been filed after a lapse of nearly 18 years against 14 persons, including him. Even the charges had not been framed. There was no explanation why the investigation was delayed and the matter was not followed up, especially when the alleged crime was registered at the government’s instance.
He said delayed investigation was violative of Art.21 of the Constitution. The delay had caused unbearable mental trauma, fear psychosis and tension. The police, who closed the case in May 2011, obtained fresh legal opinion in 2014 to file the charge sheet.