The long-running Tamil Nadu gutkha case has faced a fresh delay after the Special Court in Chennai told the Madras High Court that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had not cooperated with the trial proceedings. The Special Court has sought three more months to complete the hearing in the case involving 26 accused, including former ministers and senior police and government officials.
The case concerns allegations that bribes were paid to central and state government officials to permit the sale of banned gutkha products. The CBI registered the case against former ministers C. Vijayabaskar and P.V. Ramana, former Director General of Police Rajendran, former Chennai Police Commissioner George and other senior officials. The accused have not been convicted, and the allegations remain subject to the ongoing legal process.
The case has been pending before the Chennai Special Court since 2018, and the CBI has already filed a charge sheet. The Special Court had written to the High Court seeking an additional three months to conclude the proceedings. Justice Lakshminarayanan directed the Special Court to submit a report on the status of the trial.
In the report filed before the High Court on November 10, the Special Court alleged that the CBI had not provided cooperation required for the examination of the case. The report was submitted during the hearing of the court’s request for additional time.
The CBI told the High Court that information had to be extracted from 78 electronic devices or sources connected with the case. According to the agency, the process would cost around Rs 5 lakh and require 20 days. The CBI also sought directions requiring the accused to produce discs that had allegedly already been provided in connection with the case.
The dispute over electronic evidence has added a procedural layer to a prosecution that has already remained before the Special Court for eight years. The court must complete the examination of the material and proceed with the trial while addressing questions about the availability and duplication of electronic records.
The High Court accepted the CBI’s request in relation to the electronic evidence and adjourned the matter. The Special Court has sought three months to complete the proceedings, while the High Court’s next steps will determine how the evidence-related request affects the trial timeline.
