Governor orders prosecution sanction against former AIADMK Minister in cash-for-job scam: TN informs SC

NEW DELHI: The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that the state governor has ordered sanction of prosecution against former AIADMK minister K T Rajendra Balaji in the alleged Aavin cash-for-job scam case."The state governor has ordered sanction of prosecution against former AIADMK minister K T Rajenthra Balaji," the state government told a two-judge bench of the apex court, comprising Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice S V N Bhatti.The probe authorities are yet to file the chargesheet against the former minister, the state told the apex court.

On March 17, in a major relief to former AIADMK minister Balaji, the Supreme Court stayed the Madras High Court order directing a CBI probe into the corruption allegations against him in connection with the cash-for-job scam case.The top court passed the direction on March 17, after hearing two pleas, including the one filed by the Tamil Nadu government against the high court’s decision.The Madras HC on January 6, ordered a CBI investigation in the case after it found that the state government did not comply with its earlier direction asking it to file a chargesheet in this matter.



CBI books case against former AIADMK minister KT Rajendra Balaji, two others in cash-for-job scamDuring the hearing on March 17, in the top court, senior Advocate V Giri representing Balaji, argued and opposed the CBI probe order by the CBI on the ground that the investigation simply could not be transferred to the CBI as a matter of routine, as it lacks any cogent reasons. "The order is passed (by the HC) in a petition without hearing parties," Giri added.The top court had earlier asked the Tamil Nadu government to provide the translated documents to the governor’s secretariat within two weeks and directed the governor’s office to take an expeditious decision on the pending sanction.

"We permit the State of Tamil Nadu to submit the translated copies to the Secretariat of the Governor within 2 weeks. Thereupon, it is expected that the office of the Governor would take a decision on the sanction forthwith. We issue notice to the Respondents.

..In the meanwhile, we direct that the CBI will not proceed with the investigation," the bench of the apex court earlier had said.

According to the prosecution, Balaji is accused of running cash-for-jobs racket, allegedly collecting Rs 3 crore from various individuals in exchange for government jobs at Aavin, the state-run dairy company.He was arrested, after many complaints were filed against him, including two private individuals -- S Ravindran and K Nallathambi -- both of whom claimed they have given multi lakhs of rupees to Balaji in lieu of getting jobs for their relatives. Rajendra Balaji was Tamil Nadu’s Dairy Minister under the previous AIADMK government.

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