Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai on Thursday requested the Tamil Nadu government to transfer the case relating to the fake passport scam to the CBI or the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and to suspend the police officers, who were involved, immediately.
He claimed that more than 200 fake passports were issued from Madurai during the period in which Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) Davidson Devaasirvatham was the city commissioner.
While officials in the passport and post offices have given their consent for legal proceedings against their officials, consent for such action against the police officials was not granted, leading to hampering of the case trial and proceedings, Mr. Annamalai said, and added that it was evident that the probe lacked transparency due to the involvement of those implicated in the case.
‘Wilful default’
He alleged that the State’s police was complacent and accused them of wilful default. “This case must be transferred to CBI/NIA before CID Q Branch is compromised due to political pressure and in the interest of national security. ADGP Intelligence and all the police officers concerned must be kept under immediate suspension to avoid further tampering with evidence and interference in the investigation,” he said.
Mr. Annamalai alleged that the Avaniyapuram police station was chosen because the fake passport brokers couldn’t lure the police inspector and the head constable with money in Madurai Koodal Pudhur police station. Providing a few examples of issuance of fake passport, Mr. Annamalai said he was enclosing the details of 67 passports, which were approved under the watch of Mr. Devaasirvatham and his team.
“The police wilfully approved these passports knowing that it is logically impossible to have so many passport applicants from one street. If a police officer cannot reason the impossibility of a 600-metre stretch to have 65 passport applicants, he is not just corrupt but also unfit to be a police officer,” he said.
