Kallakurichi Hooch Tragedy | Sufficient Progress In Investigation, No Circumstance To Transfer Probe To CBI: Govt Tells Madras High Court

The state informed the bench of Acting Chief Justice R Mahadevan and Justice Mohammed Shaffiq that the state had responded swiftly to the issue and taken every possible steps. The state added that investigation was rapidly progressing.

The state highlighted that cases cannot be transferred from the State to a Central Investigation Agency routinely but only in rare cases where the constitutional courts found the investigation to be insufficient. In the instant case, the State said that the incident was only two-week old and sufficient progress has been shown by the investigating agency. Thus, the State submitted that there were no circumstances which warranted a CBI inquiry.

The status report, filed by Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena stated that with intense investigation by the CBCID, within 5 days 21 individuals were arrested and approximately 700 litres of contraband was seized. It was submitted that the confessions were recorded and the seizures were made based on the confessions. It was further submitted that 132 witnesses were examined and their statements were also recorded.

The state informed that three FIRs were also registered - in Kallakurichi, Kachirapalayam, and Sankarapuram police station. The court was informed that at present investigation was being conducted by 6 separate CBCID teams and 3 local police teams attached to CBCID. The state also informed that considering the sensitivity and severity of the case, large strength of police personnel have been deployed to investigate the case under the head of the Superintendent of police, North Zone, CBCID.

With respect to the allegation of State inaction after previous similar incidents, the State informed that the Kallakurichi incident was not a sequel of the 2023 incidents in Marakkanam and Chengalpet. The State argued that the source of methanol was different in Kallakurichi case making it a separate incident.

The State informed that after the 2023 incidents, massive raids were conducted against illicit arrack and spurious liquor. The state also gave comprehensive details of the action taken in respect of prohibition offences for the period between 2021 and May 2024.

The case has been posted to July 11. A third petition has been filed by Advocate A Mohan Doss seeking to transfer the ongoing investigation from the CBCID to the CBI

Case Title: IS Inbadurai v Chief Secretary

Case No: WP 16519 of 2024