Savukku Shankar PIL for CBI probe into Dalit welfare scheme: Supreme Court tells Madras HC to hear DICCI

The Dalit Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) on Monday secured interim relief from the Supreme Court in connection with a case filed before the Madras High Court accusing DICCI of corruption in the execution of a Tamil Nadu welfare scheme that is meant to uplift sanitation workers and the Dalit community. .A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih has stayed an interim order passed by the High Court last week in the matter, which involves the implementation of the Annal Ambedkar Business Champions Scheme (AABCS).The Court has also ordered the High Court to hear DICCI before deciding on the matter. Notably, DICCI is not yet a party to the case pending before the High Court, which is slated to hear the matter next on May 21, Wednesday. "Let the present petitioners (DICCI) be impleaded as respondents. Let High Court consider the application and let an order be passed after hearing all parties. Till such an order is passed, let the impugned order be kept in abeyance," the top court ordered today. .While hearing DICCI's plea, the Bench also briefly questioned if there was any urgency for the Madras High Court to have taken up the matter for hearing in the middle of its ongoing summer vacation. "What was the urgency that the Court to take this up on vacation?" CJI Gavai remarked. .The case before the Madras High Court was filed by YouTuber Savukku Shankar, who has alleged that the implementation of the AABCS was arbitrarily and illegally entrusted to DICCI..In his public interest litigation (PIL) petition, Shankar alleged that those running the DICCI have ties to Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) President, MLA K Selvaperunthagai.As a result, Shankar claimed that the benefits of the schemes went to those with ties to the Congress instead of intended beneficiaries. This amounts to defrauding poor Dalits, Shankar contended while seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter..The PIL was heard by a Vacation Bench of the High Court comprising Justices GR Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayanan on two dates. .On May 14, the Bench sought a response from the State and also impleaded the State's Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, the MSME Department, and the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) in the matter. The Court also called for the production of relevant files related to the project.On May 16, the Municipal Administration Department, represented by Additional Advocate General (AAG) J Ravindran, sought more time to produce some more documents. Both the AAG and the State's counsel, Advocate General (AG) PS Raman asserted that there was no corruption in AABCS' implementation, while terming Shankar's plea as one filed for publicity.AG Raman also pointed out that in any case, the CBI did not have the jurisdiction to investigate cases in Tamil Nadu unless ordered by the Court to do so. The Court proceeded to grant time to the State authorities, as requested, and adjourned the case till May 21.