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Government yet to respond on Sagayam report
Sagayam’s counsel argues the case should be handed over to CBI; the Bench has given 12 weeks time for the analysis
Chennai
The multi-crore granite mining scam report by the Sagayam Commission, which reveals a whopping 11.1 lakh crore loss to the exchequer, is gathering dust. The findings by a one-man committee of IAS officer U Sagayam was submitted to the Madras High Court last November.
Though then the case has come up for hearing at least thrice, the State’s Advocate General A L Somayaji is busy seeking more time to analyse the report.
The first bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, said, “What we require from the State Government is analysis of the report, steps taken in pursuance to the report and the further steps contemplated to be taken, so that the report is taken to its logical consequences.”
Sensitive evidence
The 600-page report plus 7,000 pages of annexures containing sensitive and incriminating documents and photographic evidences have so far revealed a sordid saga of bureaucrat-politician nexus plundering the State.
Sagayam’s counsel M Radhakrishnan told DTNext that when the matter came up for hearing on Monday he told the court that “With the state also an accused in the case, their opinion in the issue does not matter.
Moreover, with the involvement of both the State and Central government staff in the loot and instances of human sacrifice also surfacing, the case has to be handed over to the CBI.” Radhakrishnan also claimed that the loss of 1.11 lakh crore has been arrived by the Sagayam commission merely by accounting for 70 per cent of the loot and that the CBI probe could unearth more.
12-week time to govt
The State government bidding time on the issue is attributed to avoiding a CBI or vigilance probe on the issue.
For now, the First Bench has clearly indicated that the entrustment of further investigation to any authority would also be examined based on the Government’s opinion and granted it 12 weeks’ time to file its response. The case is scheduled to come up for further hearing on March 31.
Reportgathers dust
- The one-man Sagayam Committee submitted its report to the Madras High Court in November, 2015
- The 600-page report with additional 7,000 pages of supporting documents and photographic evidences have revealed a bureaucrat-politician nexus plundering the State
- The case has come up for hearing three times after the report was submitted, but the state government sought more time to analyse the report.
- The report has revealed a whopping 11.1 lakh crore loss to the exchequer
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