DGP's secret note to J Jayalalithaa found in Sasikala's room

The Income Tax department on Friday made a startling revelation in the Madras High Court — that it had recovered a confidential September 2016 letter written by Tamil Nadu Director General of Police to late chief minister J Jayalalithaa from jailed AIADMK leader VK Sasikala's room in the Poes Garden residence. The letter sought action against those involved in the multi-crore gutkha scam.

The I-T department's secret letter, along with a note from the DGP addressed to chief minister (Jayalalithaa) on September 2, 2016, was seized from a room occupied by Sasikala during the search conducted by the (IT) department on November 17, 2017, said Suise Babu Varghese, the present principal director of the department, Chennai, through an affidavit filed in the court.

Varghese made the submission in a PIL filed by DMK legislator J Anbazhagan seeking a CBI probe into the alleged gutkha scam, as it involves a state minister and senior police officials.

According to the affidavit, the then principal director of the I-T department had on August 11, 2016, written a letter to the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police in connection with the scam. The letter was addressed to both of them, with copies of the relevant accounts from the seized materials, it said.

Copies of extracts of sworn statements recorded from Madhava Rao, a partner in the gutka company allegedly involved in the scam, evidencing payment to various parties connected with the state government, were also enclosed with the letter.

Classified info

The I-T department’s secret letter, along with a note from the DGP addressed to CM on September 2, 2016, was seized from a room occupied by Sasikala during the search on November 17, 2017