The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Response to CBI's case transfer plea not likely before Friday

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Response to CBI's case transfer plea not likely before Friday

By K.T. Sangameswaran

CHENNAI, OCT. 12. The Tamil Nadu Government's response to the CBI request for transferring the Jayalakshmi case to the agency is likely to be known only after October 15, when its special leave petition (SLP) comes up before the Supreme Court.

The Central Bureau of Investigation began its probe based on an affidavit filed by A. Jayalakshmi (32) of Sivakasi before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, alleging illegal confinement and sexual harassment by some police officers. It planned to investigate simultaneously this case and the kidnap complaint filed by her father, Alagirisami, with the Maraneri police in Virudhunagar district.

Hence, it is likely that summons to Ms. Jayalakshmi for her appearance before the investigators will be issued only after the central agency takes up the other case also.

Meanwhile, the agency is looking into various aspects of her affidavit, CBI sources told The Hindu , when contacted.

On October 1, a Division Bench of the High Court ordered the CBI to take up investigation of both the cases. It ordered that Ms. Jayalakshmi's affidavit be treated as a complaint and a case registered. The court said the CBI should file a status report with the Registrar (Judicial) in two months.

The sources said that as soon as the order was received, the agency asked an Additional Superintendent of Police, Sivaji of the Anti-Corruption Branch and his team to take up the investigation. It wrote to the Government to transfer Mr. Alagirisami's complaint. Till now, there was no response. It is likely that the Government, which filed the SLP against the High Court orders, is awaiting the hearing in the apex court.

Based on Ms. Jayalakshmi's affidavit, the CBI team was also scrutinising the documents it seized from a nationalised bank on Town Hall Road, Madurai. Documents from some other banks where she was stated to have had transactions were being collected. Enquiries were also made about her alleged marriage with a police official.

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