Tamil Nadu law minister S Regupathy, on Wednesday, July 6, wrote to Governor RN Ravi seeking sanction to prosecute former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) ministers against whom corruption charges were raised. He also sought the governor’s assent to 13 pending bills passed by the assembly.

The minister in a semi official letter to the Governor which was released to the media said that the CBI had booked two former ministers of the AIADMK - Dr C Vijayabhaskar and BV Ramana based on a directive from the Madras High Court in a case related to complaints against the duo taking bribes from gutka manufacturers. Reghupathy also pointed out that the cabinet had, on September 12, 2022, written to the Governor to sanction the prosecution of Vijayabhaskar and Ramana as was requested by the CBI. However, there was no response and due to the delay from the Governor’s office, no action could be initiated, he said.

The Minister further added that the state government had written another letter in the same regard, to the Governor on May 15, 2023 after it had approved the request of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption to prosecute former AIADMK ministers KC Veeramani and MR Vijayabhaskar to which also there was no response. The minister in the letter also pointed out to the Governor that he had not given sanction to prosecute any of the corrupt former AIADMK ministers.

The letter comes after Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Minister Senthil Balaji has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. The Minister, who complained of chest pain during the arrest, has undergone a bypass surgery and is under recuperation in the hospital.