Former Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar Faces Renewed CCB Scrutiny in Chennai Job Fraud Case

Well, it seems the legal wheels keep turning for former Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar in Chennai. The Central Crime Branch (CCB), you see, has once again called him in for questioning. This isn't just a new case popping up; it's part of an ongoing, rather intricate probe into an alleged job fraud scheme that has already seen the Enforcement Directorate (ED) get involved.

Let's rewind a bit, shall we? This whole saga really kicked off in 2021, when a lady named Jayanthi lodged a complaint. She alleged that a whopping ₹25 lakh had been shelled out, supposedly for a conductor's job within the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC). The kicker? The job never materialized, leaving her without the promised employment.

Now, the CCB initially took up the investigation, but it wasn't long before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) stepped in, thanks to the money laundering angle involved. And boy, did they get involved – remember, they actually froze assets worth a cool ₹10 crore belonging to Vijayabhaskar and his family back in 2022. Then, just last March, the ED even went ahead and filed a prosecution complaint, indicating the seriousness of their findings.

So, why is the CCB suddenly back in the picture for 'further investigation,' you might wonder? Well, it all circles back to a recent High Court order. Vijayabhaskar had actually tried to get the ED case quashed, but the court wasn't having it. Instead, while denying his plea, they specifically instructed the CCB to dig deeper, to conduct this 'further investigation' into the allegations.

According to Jayanthi's initial complaint, the money wasn't handed directly to Vijayabhaskar, mind you. It was supposedly routed through an agent named Saidai Samraj. And it's not just the former minister; his wife, Ramani, was also named in the complaint. It really paints a picture of a potential network, doesn't it? A.M.B. Rajendran, who was the MTC chairman at the time, and C. Chandrasekar, then the managing director, were also reportedly implicated in this scheme.

Initially, Vijayabhaskar was asked to appear before the CCB on April 18th. However, he requested a little more time, and so, the date was pushed back. He's now expected to present himself for questioning on April 22nd. It's a situation that's definitely keeping everyone on their toes, as this long-running investigation takes another significant turn.