HC orders CBI probe into haul during TN polls

Chennai, July 4: The Madras High Court on Monday directedtheCentralBureauof Investigation (CBI) to probe all the angles related to seizure of cash worth R570 crore by Election Commission of India at Tirupur in Tamil Nadu during state Assembly elections in May.

The High Court, hearing a petition by a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader who alleged that the money was of the hawala nature, has asked the CBI to investigate and take action, if any material found, to unearth the nature of the fund.

Justice R Subbiah of the Hight Court also asked the agency to register a complaint and proceed in accordance with the law as early as possible, if they find any material in the course of investigation.

The petition was filed by TKS Elangovan, Rajya Sabha MP of the DMK, the arch rival of the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, alleging that the documents related to the money transfer were fake and senior bank officials forged documents and faked authorisation from the Reserve Bank of India to transport huge sums of hawala money during elections.

StateBankof Indiahadstated that there was nothing illegal in the money transfer by them.TheSBIofficialshaverepeatedly claimed that the cash detained by the Election Commission in three containers in Tirupur during the Assembly electionswaspartof atransaction from one of its currency chests to another.

Earlier in a litigation related to the seizure, the RBI had told the court that the money belonged to it and was being handled by SBI with its permission.

However,theDMKleaderin his petition alleged that the RBIChennaihadnotgivenany such direction for cash remittances of R570 crore. He also said that transportation of so muchcashbyroadatnightwas not in accordance with RBI guidelines. Former additional solicitor general of India and senior counsel P Wilson appeared for the petitioner.