Supreme Court clears way for CBI probe into Kallakurichi hooch tragedy

CHENNAI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the decks for a CBI probe into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy that left 68 people dead. A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan dismissed the special leave petitions filed by the Tamil Nadu government against the Madras High Court judgment ordering the CBI probe.

“Having heard the Advocate General appearing for the petitioners and having gone through the materials on record, we see no reason to interfere with the very well-reasoned judgment of the Madras High Court,” the bench of the apex court said.

Based on petitions filed by AIADMK legal wing secretary IS Inbadurai, leader of Lawyers Forum for Social Justice K Balu, BJP’s A Mohandass, former DMDK MLA B Parthasarathy and former MLA Dr A Sridharan, a division bench of Justices D Krishnakumar and PB Balaji of the Madras High Court had directed the CBI to probe the case on November 20.