CHENNAI: Governor RN Ravi has finally accorded sanction to prosecute former AIADMK ministers C Vijaya Baskar and BV Ramana in the gutkha scam probed by the CBI.

In his detailed affidavit filed before the Supreme Court on Monday, Ravi informed that the files related to prosecution, received from TN government on September 12, 2022, were sanctioned on November 13, 2023, three days after the apex court ordered notice to the gubernatorial head of Tamil Nadu in the case moved by the DMK government.

The Governor also informed the bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud that the file received on May 15, 2023 regarding prosecution against former transport minister MR Vijayabhaskar, also belonging to AIADMK, was under consideration.

In the case of the file received from TN government on September 12, 2022 regarding prosecution of another former AIADMK minister KC Veeramani, the Governor submitted that he had sought a duly authenticated investigation report on July 7, 2023, and a reply was received on July 11, 2023 stating the submission of the same. However, the file sent back on July 15 by Raj Bhavan observed that there was no duly authenticated investigation report in the file and “all that is there are a number of unauthenticated loose sheets”. A reply has been received from the government on November 18, it said.

The Governor, as per the affidavit, has also accorded sanction to the file for prosecuting former Thanjavur Tamil University V-C G Bhaskaran on November 18.

Sanction for prosecution was accorded on Nov 13, Raj Bhavan informed SC in an affidavit on Monday