Madras High Court Mulls Setting Up SIT To Probe Fake Certificate Issued For Petrol Bunk

The Madras High Court is considering setting up a Special Investigation Team to investigate into issuance of fake No-Objection Certificate for obtaining petrol bunk license.

The bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan has also directed the Additional Director General of Police CB-CID to appear before it.

“Additional Director General of Police, CBCID, is directed to appear in Court on the next date of hearing so that appropriate orders, regarding constitution of a Special Investigating Team, are passed for proper and fair investigation in the matter,” the court said.

The court was hearing a petition filed by VBR Menon seeking direction to the Chief Controller Of Explosives and the Joint Chief Controller of Explosives to cancel the Final Explosive License issued to Indian Oil Corporation and Nayara Energy Limited issued to establish petrol pumps by accepting forged and fabricated copies of NOC certificate.

The petitioner submitted that though investigation was being carried out, the beneficiaries in whose favour the fake certificate was issued could not be identified and they have not been made accused in the investigation.

The petitioner also submitted that the beneficiaries knew that they had not applied for the certificate and yet used the fake ones to get the undue benefits. He thus argued that the beneficiaries are prima facie accused of wrongdoing but all attempts were being made to save them.

After hearing the parties, the court was convinced that the investigation was not being carried out in a proper manner. The court noted that though there were materials against some beneficiaries, they had not been added as accused.

“If that be so, we fail to understand why investigation is not being carried out in proper direction. Except investigation carried out and charge sheet filed in respect of cases arising in Dindigul and Erode Districts; in respect of cases which are pending before the investigating officer of the CBCID, Chennai, though there are large number of beneficiaries in respect of whom, their role is found in material, no satisfactory investigation has been carried out,” the court said.

Thus, to ascertain the truth regarding the investigation, the court directed the ADGP to appear before it so that appropriate orders could be passed for fair trial.

Counsel for Petitioner: Mr.V.B.R.Menon (p-in-p)

Counsel for Respondent: Mr.E.Raj Thilak, Additional Public Prosecutor

Case Title: VBR Menon v. The Chief Controller Of Explosives

Case No: WP No.19983 of 2023