Gutkha scam: Ex-top cop George blames juniors, denies involvement

Incidentally, though he had served as Commissioner for three terms in the last six years, he had never called for a formal press meet. This was the first time George had a full-fledged media interaction.

He blamed Chennai police commissioners who had worked with him between his second and third stint as city police chief for the scam and did not disclose their names.

Senior officers TK Rajendran, JK Tripathi and Ashutosh Shukla held the posts of Commissioner of Police between October 2015 and September 2016 when George returned as Commissioner of Chennai.

George’s residence in Nolambur was searched on Wednesday and went on till Thursday morning. DGP Rajendran’s house was also searched by the CBI on Wednesday.

George also alleged that former CCB DC S Jayakumar, who worked under him, had not briefed him about his findings on the illegal trade of gutkha at that time. Jayakumar is currently working as SP, Villupuram. “Jayakumar betrayed me and failed to bring the issue to my notice. That’s why I gave him a below average rating in his annual confidential report,” George said. It was highly unusual for a senior officer like him to disclose what he had written about his junior in the ACR.

The surprise press conference addressed by former City Police Commissioner S George has seemingly given new leads for the CBI investigators, who are probing the gutkha scam. In the attempt to prove his innocence to the media, George named his former subordinates, who might know more about the scam.

“By naming officers like Villupuram SP Jayakumar (former Deputy Commissioner of CCB) and Central Zone Inspector General V Varadaraju (former Joint Commissioner of the Intelligence Section), George has pointed fingers at them indirectly saying that those officers may know more about the scam,” a police officer noted.

All through his interaction with the media, George also took pains to explain that he was not the City Police Commissioner during the dates mentioned in the ledger seized from gutkha manufacturer AV Madhava Rao that contained details of alleged bribe payments. However, he added that he was not casting aspersions on the officers who succeeded him as Commissioner.

George contended that during the arguments in the case filed by DMK MLA J Anbazhagan seeking CBI probe into the scam, his counsel P Wilson had not mentioned his name. There was no security for an honest officer like him, he lamented. The retired DGP, who was once rumoured to be in the race to become the State police chief, said the scam was whipped up to prevent him and incumbent police chief Rajendran from reaching the top position.

George also recalled that it was he who wrote a letter to the Home Secretary after the then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s death seeking an inquiry into the gutkha scam, as “scandalous rumours” that were being spread. However, the former top officer did not respond to questions on why he failed to take action against the officers who were on the wrong side of the law with regard to the scam.

When a reporter pointed to the Income Tax report which alleged that gutkha manufacturers paid Rs 15 lakh to a former Police Commissioner in December 2015 ahead of Christmas, George shot back asking why a former incumbent be paid any bribe. During the press conference where he had to weather a barrage of uncomfortable questions, George referred to his religion and that of one of the scribes, which triggered vociferous protests from the media personnel, who pointed out that it was wrong to drag the religion of a professional.

The rare media interaction

Though he served as the City Police Commissioner for three terms in the last six years of his service, George has never had any liking for a formal press meet. Despite protests from the TV journalists in the past that he was not calling them for press conferences, he always preferred to stay away from any open interaction with the media. Even when he wanted to talk to the media, he always preferred to speak to the reporters but without the presence of TV cameras. This was one of the rare instances where he had to face a full-fledged media interaction, with him answering journalists’ questions with television cameras and mikes in front of him.

Disclosing details of ACR questioned

Meanwhile, some senior police officers are wondering if George was right in disclosing the details of a junior colleague’s annual confidential report (ACR). The report is supposed to be kept confidential due to the sensitive nature of its contents and ensure administrative fairness. There was no need for him disclose it in a press conference, noted a retired IPS officer.