The Income Tax department’s report to the then Chief Secretary and then DGP in August last, detailing bribes allegedly paid to a minister and top police officers among others by a gutkha manufacturer for allowing the sale of the banned tobacco product in Chennai, has reportedly gone missing.
There is no trace of the letter dated August 11, 2016, which the Principal Director of I-T (Investigation) B.R. Balakrishnan handed over to the then Chief Secretary P.S. Rama Mohana Rao. Another letter with identical contents was handed over to the then DGP Ashok Kumar.
Inquiries with well-placed sources in the State administration on Sunday revealed that an internal probe has been ordered to ascertain how these classified documents went missing.
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Usually, such communications are referred to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption. Sources claimed that the I-T Department’s letters, whose receipt was acknowledged, had gone missing over six months ago.
“Since neither the then Chief Secretary nor the then DGP were involved in the alleged scam, we are wondering who would be interested in erasing the records... the fact remains that there is no trace of those reports in the State Government,” a senior official speaking on condition of anonymity said.