Kallakurichi hooch tragedy: SC orders CBI probe, rejects TN's plea

New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) The Central Bureau of Investigation will be probing the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy in which 67 people died after consuming illicit liquor, the Supreme Court has said while junking the appeal of the Tamil Nadu government against the Madras High Court judgement on the issue.

The high court, on November 20, had ordered a CBI probe into Tamil Nadu’s most devastating incident linked to the consumption of spurious liquor. The loss of 67 lives led to widespread public outcry and demands for accountability.

A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said on Tuesday it was not inclined to interfere with the high court order.

"Having heard the advocate general appearing for the petitioners and having gone through the materials on record, we see no good reason to interfere with the very well-reasoned judgment of the high court. The special leave petitions are, accordingly, dismissed," the bench said.

The high court passed the order on November 20 on the petitions filed by AIADMK legal wing secretary and former MLA I S Inbadurai, president of Advocates Forum for Social Justice K Balu, and two others, seeking a CBI probe into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy.

The HC bench had said, "In view of the foregoing discussion, with specific reference to the authoritative pronouncements of the Supreme Court in the matter of transfer of cases to the CBI, this court is of the prima facie view that this Kallakurichi hooch tragedy case is one of the rarest of rare cases which warrants a fair and impartial investigation by the CBI." It had directed the state police to hand over the entire case diaries in CB-CID, Villupuram, to the CBI within two weeks.

The high court had directed CBI, Chennai, to investigate all aspects of the three cases and file final reports before the jurisdictional court as expeditiously as possible.

The state police shall extend their fullest cooperation to the CBI for the smooth conduct of the investigation, the bench had added.

In a prima facie view, the bench said had the police officials nipped the problem in the bud, the loss of 67 lives in Kallakurichi could have been easily averted. PTI