Fresh probe ordered against Bhalaji

Observing that DVAC has restrained the enquiry to check period between 2011 to 2013 when Bhalaji was a Minister, the division bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice R Hemalatha said, “This court on a thorough perusal, appraisal and consideration of the materials placed before it, is of the view that the preliminary enquiry has not at all been done properly. 

Therefore, it must be done again by fixing the check period from 1996 onwards when he was vice-chairman of the Thiruthangal Municipality as that is also a public office.” 

The bench on accounting for Bhalaji’s present position as a Minister held that the preliminary enquiry must be conducted by an IPS officer in the cadre of Superintendent of Police and the said official is to be nominated by the DVAC director. 

Also, seeking the probe officer to submit periodical status report before the court on the progress made in the preliminary enquiry, the bench directed the submission of the first report in a sealed cover on August 3. 

The petitioner Mahendran had contended that when Bhalaji contested in the 2011 Assembly polls he had declared that he was not an I-T assessee and does not have a PAN card. But now, he owns properties worth crores of rupees.