Former Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, former Commercial Taxes Minister B V Ramana, and 10 more accused persons are in the Gutkha scam, CBI contends and has penned a letter to Chief Secretary Iraianbu, to register a lawsuit against them. The case was moved to CBI after Madras High Court  inquired the violation of banned order by Tamil Nadu Government in 2013, and summoned the CBI to took charge of investigation.

The case pertains to illegal sale of gutkha, a concoction of tobacco and ‘pan masala’ which was banned in Tamil Nadu in 2013. But the illegal trading of drugs continued in the state and raids were conducted by income tax department and found the documents from former IPS officials and former ministers, Tamil Nadu former police were involved in taking bribes to promote seamless commodity of banned tobacco products in the city, and followingly the scam came to light on July 8, 2017. The case was sent to the CBI by the order of Madras High Court in April 2018, and had registered the FIR against unidentified officials of the Tamil Nadu government, Central Excise Department and the Food Safety Department in May 2018.

On Tuesday, CBI's Anti-Corrption (III) Unit, New Delhi Meanwhile, the CBI has issued a letter seeking a nod from the Tamil Nadu government to investigate 12 personals including former AIADMK ministers-C. Vijayabaskar and Ramana, retired Chennai Police Commissioner Rajendran and George in the sensational Gutkha Scam.

It is noteworthy to mention that, the Income Tax Department already sent a confidential report of details, comprised seized illegal trade documents from former ministers' residence during the reign of late former Chief Minister jayalalitha.