DMK functionary held for assisting illegal gutkha unit

Inspector, Thangaraj, picked up ‘Thalapathy’ Murugesan, former Kannampalayam Town Panchayat president, from Mogappair in Chennai. “Murugesan played a key role in the illegal operations of the gutkha unit. He had helped in the purchase of land and facilitated the setting up of illegal water connection to the unit. The unit manager Raghuram has confessed to having given several lakhs as bribe to Murugesan,” said a police officer.

Murugesan, who was arrested with six other DMK cadre for protesting in front of the unit while the raid was under way last month, was out on conditional bail.

Following this, sleuths from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) searched the Kannampalayam Town Panchayat office to probe into the offence committed by the DMK functionary during his tenure as president from 2011 to 2016. They have seized some documents.

Meanwhile, DMK MLA N Karthik and another party functionary were granted anticipatory bail by a court in Coimbatore on Thursday.

While seven partymen were arrested for staging a demonstration in front of the illegal gutka manufacturing unit during the raid, three others, including the the MLA had escaped.

Police had cracked down on the illegal tobacco manufacturing unit and arrested four persons, while a search is on for the kingpin of the gang.

Several lakhs worth gutkha products were seized in the raid from the illegal unit, which was operating for the last six years.

Officials of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Thursday issued an order cancelling the licence of the illegal gutkha unit. The unit, run by Amith Jain of Delhi, had obtained the licence from FSSAI to manufacture non-tobacco products like pan masala and sweet betel nuts.

Although the FSSAI officials held an inspection of the unit in January this year, they failed to detect the illegal activity and certified that products manufactured by the unit were safe for consumption. Following the police raid in April, the FSSAI officials sent a notice seeking an explanation. However, they did not get any response. Following this, the FSSAI on Thursday ordered the licence, valid till July 2018, to be cancelled. Police also suspect the involvement of FSSAI officials in the operations of the gutkha unit over the last six years. Meanwhile, four persons, including the unit manager Raguraman, who were arrested, have moved court seeking bail.