CBI grills gutkha traders in Chennai

Madhav Rao owned the MDM gutka trade mark. It may be recalled that the CBI last month had conducted an inquiry at the Food Safety Department office in connection with the probe into the multi-crore scam and collected staff details, including the employees who worked in the office in the past.  

Food Safety Department officials were supposed to monitor the distribution and sale of banned tobacco product and take strict action against those selling them.

The scam related to large scale distribution and sale of banned gutkha during the period. The traders had reportedly bribed many government officers including city police commissioners, food safety officials and central excise officials during the period beside state ministers. The case was initially probed by state Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) and later entrusted to CBI by Madras High Court for further probe.